All the 17 killed were identified as migrant workers and their families, after a fire swept through a garment workshop building in the southern Beijing suburb Monday morning, local authorities said.

Firemen work at the site where a fire occurred in a building in Daxing District in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2011. A fire broke out in the building in Daxing Monday morning, leaving 17 people dead and another 24 injured. More than 30 people were evacuated. (Xinhua/Zhang Yu)
The fire broke out at around 1 a.m. Monday in a four-story building in Jiugong Town in Daxing District, killing 17 people and injuring 24 others, said Chang Hongyan, deputy head of the government of Daxing District.

Initial investigation shows the fire started at the first floor, which was an unlicensed garment workshop named Yuyun. The above stories were used to accommodate workers.

The building belongs to a local resident surnamed Zhang. Its construction was not approved by local authorities, said Chang.

Most of the 17 killed died on the first floor after inhaling excessive smoke, said Chang.

Photos taken at the site showed that the windows of the building were all barred with iron fences, which were initially installed to guard off burglars but may have prevented the trapped people from escaping.

Liu Qi, secretary of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, and mayor Guo Jinlong have arrived at the site to direct the investigation.

VietNamNet/Xinhuanet