Rescue members build an isolation zone preventing from further water pollution after a fire outside the plastic packaging factory in Shanghai, east China, July 18, 2008. An overhead beam crushed three firefighters to death and injured nine others as they fought a fire on Thursday in the storehouses of Rexam Plastic Packaging (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. in Fengxian District, Shanghai.  (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, July 19 -- A fire at a plastic packaging factory in Shanghai has left three firefighters dead and injured nine others. Police say structural flaws in the storehouses may have caused an overhead beam to fall, crushing the firefighters.

    The blaze broke out at around 12:20 p.m.on Thursday in the storehouses of a plastic packaging company in Fengxian District. More than 300 firefighters had extinguished the fire by 8 p.m. The fire spread over 2,000 square meters.

    No one at the factory was reported hurt. Residents within 200 meters of the plant in southwest Shanghai were evacuated.

    (Source: cctv.com)

3 firefighters killed, 9 injured in Shanghai plastic packaging plant fire 

    SHANGHAI, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Three firefighters were crushed to death by an overhead beam while attempting to put out a fire at a plastic packaging factory on Thursday in Shanghai. Nine other firefighters were injured.

    The blaze broke out at around 12:20 p.m. in the storehouses of Rexam Plastic Packaging (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. in Fengxian District, according to the municipal firefighting and work safety departments.