QINGDAO, Shandong, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Eleven workers were killed and 10 others injured in a fire that broke out Thursday morning in a seafood company in the coastal city of Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province.

    The fire occurred at 1:40 a.m. in a dormitory of the Qingdao Jiayuan Michael Food Co., Ltd. in the Chengyang District, said an official with the Qingdao Public Security Bureau.

    The injured have been taken to hospital.

Photo taken on Dec. 4, 2008 shows the site of a fire in Qingdao, a coastal city of east China's Shandong Province. Eleven workers were killed and 10 others injured in a fire that broke out early Thursday morning in a dormitory of Qingdao Jiayuan Michael Food Co., Ltd.(Xinhua/Li Ziheng) Photo Gallery>>>

   "We are doing what we can to help the patients," said Ji Yufeng, a doctor in charge of the burn unit at the Chengyang District People's Hospital." They suffered slight burns and are in stable conditions. They can be released in about two weeks."

    Li Jiaxing, one of the injured, from Yishui County, said "I was still awake in bed when I heard someone cry out 'fire!' Then I rushed out immediately." She said she was hurt by burning foam.

    Another injured worker, Qin Yongmeng, 19, said he also heard someone cry out and then rushed to the corridor. "Everywhere was on fire. I fumbled to open a window and jumped out." His hands were scalded by the burning window frames.

    Qin said there were about 15 people in his room. He woke some roommates up as he was escaping, but he had no idea what happened to the others.

    The firefighters arrived after about 15 minutes. 
  

Firemen work at the site of a fire in Qingdao, a coastal city of east China's Shandong Province, Dec. 4, 2008.(Xinhua/Li Ziheng) Photo Gallery>>>

   　"The bungalow was on fire and the area was shrouded in thick fumes," said Xu Wenfeng, a leader of the firefighters. "The fire on the northern part of the building was especially fierce. The flames lit up the sky."

    It took 80 firefighters and 10 fire engines less than an hour to put out the fire.

    The people who died are all males. Six of them were from central China's Henan Province and the rest were from Shandong.

    "The company has informed their families. They were expected to arrive in Qingdao on Thursday night or Friday morning to deal with the aftermath," the official said.

    When the fire broke out, there were 84 bunk beds in the building but only 51 workers inside. In surrounding dormitories there were more than 160 people, all of whom managed to escape, the official said.

    None of the company's food processing areas were affected.

    Shangdong's vice governor Wang Junmin, along with officials from the provincial work safety, public security and firefighting bureaux, arrived at the company on Thursday afternoon. An investigation team was set up.

    Established in 1998, the Jiayuan Michael Food Co,. Ltd is a Sino-U.S. joint venture producing frozen fish. It employs 600 people.

Firemen inspect the site of a fire in Qingdao, a coastal city of east China's Shandong Province, Dec. 4, 2008.(Xinhua/Li Ziheng) Photo Gallery>>>