Fire extinguished in China's tallest building

SHANGHAI, Aug 14 (Reuters) Firemen extinguished a blaze on high floors of China's tallest building in the Shanghai financial district today, authorities said. There were no casualties.

The fire at the 101-storey Shanghai World Financial Centre, which is under construction and close to completion, was apparently caused by a welding torch which ignited workplace materials, a city government spokeswoman said.

Thick smoke billowed from several floors of the skyscraper about 40 storeys above the ground, witnesses said.

The blaze was put out a little more than an hour after it was reported, the city spokeswoman said.

The World Financial Centre, being built by Japan's Mori Building Group, is one of dozens of skyscrapers under construction in Shanghai as China's commercial capital booms.

It will be 492 metres tall and include the world's highest observation platform, a five-star hotel and office and commercial space, Mori says.

REUTERS SBC KP1722