Sixteen people died in a fire at a shopping center in southwest China on Wednesday, according to a new toll reported by the official Chinese news agency on Thursday, citing local rescue officials.

In a previous toll, at least six fatalities had been counted, according to official media.

The fire broke out early in the evening in the city of Zigong in Sichuan province, located 1,600 kilometers from the capital Beijing. The emergency services in Zigong stated in a statement that “firefighters are doing their utmost to control the situation,” urging residents to “not believe or exaggerate rumors.”

The official television “CCTV” reported that “rescue teams continue search and rescue operations.”

The channel confirmed that emergency services managed to rescue about thirty people, while others were “trapped.”

The official television reported that the shopping center is located on the ground floor of a 14-story building, adding that the flames spread to the ground floor as well as to the fourth, fifth, and sixth floors.

Pictures broadcast by the channel showed thick black smoke rising from a building overlooking a shopping street.

CCTV stated that “at 20:20 (12:20 GMT), the fire was extinguished.”