Death toll from NE China fire rises to 61

Death toll from a poultry processing plant fire in northeast China's Jilin Province has risen to 61, rescuers said Monday.

The fire broke out at 6:06 a.m. at a slaughterhouse owned by the Jilin Baoyuanfeng Poultry Company in Mishazi Township of Dehui City, about 100 kilometers northeast of the provincial capital Changchun.

Over 300 workers were in the plant when the accident happened, survivors told Xinhua, adding they heard a sudden bang and then witnessed dark smoke.

About 100 workers have managed to escape from the plant whose gate was locked when the fire occurred, said survivors.

The complicated interior structure of the prefabricated plant in which the fire broke out and the narrow exits have added difficulties to the rescue work, sources with rescue forces said.

Steel frames of the plant and dense smoke were seen at the scene after the fire was put out at noon.

Environmental watchdog has begun monitoring the environmental impact of the fire.

Rescue work is under way, while the exact number of those who were trapped in the plant has yet to be confirmed. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Established in September 2009, Jilin Baoyuanfeng Poultry Company has 1,200 employees with its annual output amounting to 67,000 tonnes of chicken products.