Breaking: Fire at Shuangjing Carrefour

A fire broke out this afternoon at the Shuangjing Carrefour complex. The building and adjacent stores and restaurants were evacuated. There were no apparent injuries. It is still unclear whether the fire was actually in the Carrefour store or in the neighboring B&Q.

The fire was still burning at about 4pm when visited by an editor from the Beijinger. Despite a large police presence, no fire control teams or ambulances were apparent. However, the whiter color of the smoke in these photos indicate that the fire was being fought.

Roads around the Carrefour were not closed, although police were directing people away from Guangqumenwai Dajie. Onlookers and rubberneckers were not being moved away from street directly in front of the store's western entrance.

It has been a bad week so far for Carrefour, and a difficult fortnight for public safety in Beijing. On Monday, an assailant injured four people with a knife at the Maliandao Carrefour in southwestern Beijing, before being apprehended. Earlier today, an explosion at a bakery in Dongcheng District killed two and injured more.

Stay with the Beijinger for updates on all of these developing stories.

Photos: the Beijinger.