State Council watching over probe of deadly fire

The Work Safety Commission of China's State Council is overseeing an investigation into a fire at an elderly care facility in Chengde, Hebei province, that killed 20 people, authorities said on Wednesday.

The fire broke out at around 9:48 pm on Tuesday at the Guo'en Elderly Care Facility in Longhua county and was extinguished by 11 pm. Fire and rescue teams, emergency management officials, police and healthcare workers were dispatched to the scene.

In addition to the 20 confirmed deaths, 19 people were hospitalized for observation but were unharmed, officials said.