AKIPRESS.COM - Nine people have been detained over a fire in south China's Guangdong Province that killed 17 people, local authorities said on Friday, Xinhua reports.

The fire broke out at about 1:51 p.m. Thursday in a warehouse on the fourth floor of a small wholesale market in Huidong County. The fire was controlled as of 7:35 p.m. Thursday, the county government said in a statement.

Fire fighters rescued five people out of the building. Four fire fighters were injured during the rescue operation, including one who remains in a serious condition.

Further investigation into the cause of the fire is underway.