
BEIJING, Feb. 1 -- The fire at a department store in downtown Beijing was extinguished on Sunday morning, 71 hours after it started.
A total of 850 fire fighters and 165 fire trucks were dispatched to quell the flames, which began raging around 9 a.m. Thursday at the Bairong Shimao Department Store in Beijing's Dongcheng District.
There were no casualties and the fire died down at 8:30 a.m. Sunday.
A 16-year-old boy who allegedly caused the fire by igniting a carton in the warehouse of the store was arrested on Thursday, according to the Beijing Public Security Bureau.
The suspect, an employee of the store, was "looking for something fun to do" when he set the fire, police said.
An initial estimate shows that the burned area reaches 2,800 square meters. A construction expert who was involved in the fire fight said the building's major structure remains intact.
PLA soldiers operating vehicle-mounted guns in drill
Beauties dancing on the rings
Blind carpenter in E China's Jiangxi
Top 10 highest-paid sports teams in the world
In photos: China's WZ-10 armed helicopters
UFO spotted in several places in China
Certificates of land title of Qing Dynasty and Republic of China
Cute young Taoist priest in Beijing
New film brings Doraemon's life story to China in 3D
China-S.Korea FTA sets positive precedent
Ferry carrying 458 people sinks in Yangtze River
Mecca of Marxism
Bring them homeDay|Week