Nineteen Killed In Chinese Workers’ Dorm

Fire swept through a workers’ dormitory at a Christmas decorations factory on New Year’s Day, killing 19 people and injuring more than 30 others, Hong Kong news reports said.

The fire broke out at 3 a.m. Monday at a makeshift dorm in the economic boomtown Shenzhen, just across the border from Hong Kong on the Chinese mainland. News reports said the factory is a Chinese-Taiwanese joint venture, but did not give its name.

The cause was under investigation.