A fire that broke out at a textile factory in Foshan city, Guangdong province, southern China, has killed eight people, according to local authorities.

The fire occurred at a textile facility located in the Changxing Industrial Park in Foshan. The two-storey brick and reinforced concrete building was reportedly used for denim washing and other textile production activities.

The blaze started at around 3:12 p.m. local time for reasons that remain unknown. Firefighters and rescue teams were dispatched to the scene, and the flames were brought under control approximately one hour later.

Authorities said the fire affected an area of around 200 square metres, but did not spread to other parts of the facility or nearby buildings.

A total of 63 people were rescued or evacuated from the factory and surrounding areas. Rescue teams later recovered the bodies of eight victims, while one person was reported injured.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. Authorities have launched an investigation to identify how the blaze started and whether any safety violations contributed to the incident.

China has experienced a number of deadly industrial accidents in recent years, prompting authorities to increase inspections of factories and workplaces to improve fire and safety standards.(ILKHA)