2025 Shantou residential fire
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 Location of the fire in Shantou | |
| Native name | 汕头「12·9」自建房重大火灾 |
|---|---|
| Date | 9 December 2025 |
| Time | 21:20 (UTC+8; Beijing Time) |
| Duration | 43 minutes (until extinguished) |
| Venue | A four-storey reinforced concrete self-built house; the ground floor was a hardware and electrical appliance shop |
| Location | Xiadongpu Village, Danfeng Road, Xiashan Subdistrict, Chaonan District, Shantou, Guangdong, China |
| Coordinates | 23°14′05″N 116°24′56″E / 23.234801°N 116.415567°E |
| Also known as | Shantou "12·9" major self-built house fire |
| Type | Building fire |
| Cause | Under investigation
|
| Outcome |
|
| Inquiries | Guangdong Provincial Government established an investigation team comprising emergency management, fire and rescue, police, and discipline inspection departments |
| Identity of victims | Four generations of one family; all 12 were relatives |
| Preliminary cause of death | Asphyxiation caused by inhalation of toxic smoke |
| Structural features | Fitted with security grilles (some with escape windows); the door on the top floor leading to the neighbour's roof was locked |
At 21:20 Beijing Time on 9 December 2025, a fire broke out in Xiashan Subdistrict, Chaonan District, Shantou, Guangdong, China. The fire resulted in the deaths of 12 people from a four-generation family, while 8 others were rescued with injuries.[1][2][3] As the building involved was a "shop below, home above" mixed-use self-built house containing multiple fire safety hazards, the Guangdong Provincial Government launched a province-wide fire safety inspection campaign.[4][5]
Building hazards
Chaonan District in Shantou is a major manufacturing hub for the city, possessing distinct industrial clusters such as textiles, clothing, and electronics.[6] There are numerous small and medium-sized business entities in the district, with many buildings adopting a "shop below, home above" or "shop in front, home behind" operational model.[6] The National Fire and Rescue Administration has noted that these mixed-use venues, which combine operations, warehousing, and residence, often lack inherent fire safety conditions and have become one of the primary causes of mass casualty incidents in China.[5] The Oriental Daily News cited netizens recalling that approximately 20 years ago (2005), the Huanan Hotel fire occurred in Xiashan Subdistrict, Chaonan District, causing 31 deaths.[7]
The building involved was a typical "shop below, home above" mixed-use venue in China. The hardware store on the ground floor stocked a large quantity of plastic pipes, copper wires, motors, and other hardware supplies; these flammable materials generate significant amounts of dense smoke when burning and can even be accompanied by minor explosions.[8] Like many local residential houses, the self-built house had anti-theft security grilles installed on a total of more than thirty windows on both the front and back sides.[9] Although 1 to 2 escape doors were installed on each floor, only one escape hatch on the security grille on the left side of the third floor at the back of the building was found to be open after the fire.[8] Furthermore, although the rooftops of surrounding buildings were mostly interconnected, the small door leading to the neighbour's rooftop was suspected to be locked during the fire, preventing those trapped on the fourth floor from escaping via the roof.[2] A neighbour of the affected house described the fire as spreading rapidly, with black smoke and flames already billowing from the fourth-floor windows at the time.[7]
Fire
The fire occurred at 21:20 on 9 December 2025, at a four-storey reinforced concrete self-built house in Xiadongpu Village, Danfeng Road, Xiashan Subdistrict, Chaonan District, Shantou.[1][6] The ground floor of the building was a shop named "Yufeng Hardware and Electrical Appliance Store", operated by a Mr. Wu.[1][6][5] Established in 2010, the shop mainly sold household appliances, motors, and hardware tools;[6] the first floor (second level) was vacant and used for cargo storage; the owner's four-generation family lived on the second and third floors (third and fourth levels).[8]
Following the alarm, the fire department rapidly deployed personnel to the scene for rescue operations.[10] Open flames were extinguished at 22:03 that night, lasting approximately 43 minutes.[6] Preliminary investigations indicated the burnt area of the building was approximately 150 square metres.[1] Subsequent investigations ruled out the possibility of a criminal case, confirming there was no intentional human factor, though the specific cause of the fire remains under further investigation.[1]