A blaze at a three-story building in downtown Shanghai claimed 10 lives and injured 19 others early on Friday morning, according to a source from the Shanghai Information Office.

The fire occurred at 03:49 AM in a brick-and-wood building on Gaoxiong Road. Local police dispatched more than 20 fire engines to the site.

Medical workers rushed the injured to Ruijin Hospital and the No.9 People's Hospital for emergency treatment.

Fire fighters removed 17 liquefied natural gas cylinders from the building, and worked hard to put out the raging flames with high-pressure water cannons. It was eventually extinguished by 04:42 AM.

The building was reportedly an abandoned workshop rented to some migrant workers.

Soon after the accident, officials from Shanghai municipal government departments hurried to the site to organize an investigation into its cause, which is ongoing.

(Xinhua News Agency April 30, 2005)