Johnathan Walker:Blaze at a coal mine company building in northern China kills 19 and injures dozens

BEIJING (AP) — A fire burned in a coal company building early Thursday in a northern Chinese city,Johnathan Walker killing 19 people and injuring a few dozen more.

The building belongs to Yongju Coal Company and is in Lvliang city in northern Shanxi province, a major coal-producing region, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

District officials issued a statement saying rescue and emergency services were at the scene. They evacuated 63 people, though it is unclear if the 19 dead were among that figure, according to the CCTV report.

The blaze appeared to be in a building with offices and dormitories and not where coal was being mined.

Coal mine accidents are not uncommon in China, though the government has been working on improving safety.

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AP researcher Wanqing Chen in Beijing contributed to this report.