Fire at Shanghai skyscraper
2007-08-14 14:04
Shanghai - A fire broke out on Tuesday at what will be China's tallest skyscraper, dealing another setback to the long-troubled project, local fire officials said.
The fire, which hit the Shanghai World Financial Centre in the late afternoon, was quickly put out and there were no casualties, said a fire department supervisor surnamed Zheng.
City officials and representatives of the project declined to offer further details pending a probe into the fire at the 101-storey tower, set to be 492m tall when completed early next year.
A photo posted on a popular Chinese website earlier showed a large cloud of smoke wafting out of the skeletal upper reaches of the structure before it was put out.
The incident is just the latest blow for the troubled project, which has been dogged by delays and controversy since it was first begun in 1997, intended to be the world's tallest building.
It was shelved soon after due to the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis and a massive property glut in the city, China's commercial capital.
It was resurrected in 2003 with plans for a six-star hotel, retail shops, a museum, observation deck and 70 floors of office space.
The price tag was set at 105 billion yen and completion was targeted for 2008.
However, the delays cost the project its status as the world's tallest building.
That honour currently belongs to 508m Taipei 101 building, which will in turn be eclipsed next year by Dubai's 800m Burj Dubai tower.
- AFP