The fire department of Chaonan district, Shantou city, South China's Guangdong Province releases a notice on the fire on December 10, 2025. Photo: the fire department of Chaonan district

The Guangdong provincial government has established an accident investigation team composed of departments such as emergency management, fire rescue, public security, and discipline inspection and supervision to thoroughly investigate the cause of the fire accident in Chaonan district of Shantou city, South China's Guangdong Province which has caused 12 deaths, CCTV reported.

A residential building in Chaonan district caught fire at 21:20 on Tuesday, with death toll tallying up to 12, Xinhua News Agency reported. 

Upon receiving a report, the fire department quickly dispatched personnel to the scene for rescue operations. By 22:03, the open flames at the site were extinguished, the local fire department previously said in a statement on its official Weibo account.

Preliminary investigations reveal that the fire occurred in a four-story self-built concrete building, with a burned area of approximately 150 square meters. 

The investigation into the cause of the fire and follow-up work are currently underway in an orderly manner, the local fire department said.

Global Times