Huawei building near its research lab in Dongguan hit by fire
- The lab is said to be involved in testing for 4G and 5G antennas related to Huawei’s network equipment business
- The fire was extinguished more than hour after it broke out in the middle of the afternoon on Friday
The video, which was shot from a high-rise building near the facility, showed large plumes of smoke coming out of the building. An unknown person in the video can be heard saying that several firefighting vehicles have been deployed to the scene.
The fire broke out at around 3.16pm on Friday in a building that was under construction, located on Alishan Road at Songshan Lake in Dongguan, according to a statement posted on the local fire department’s official WeChat account. It said the fire was extinguished at 4.50pm.
The fire department said in an update on its WeChat account released around 11.00pm Friday that three people were found dead in the building after the fire was put out.
It said a team of firefighters were deployed upon receiving an alarm about a fire in a building with steel structure and flammable sound-absorbing cotton pads. The cause of the blaze remains unclear.
Huawei was not immediately available for comment.
The Dongguan research lab of Huawei mainly conducts research into materials as well as testing for 4G and 5G antennas related to the Shenzhen-based company’s network equipment business, according to a Reuters report, citing a source familiar with the matter.
It is part of a larger Huawei manufacturing complex, the report said. The company has another sprawling European-themed campus close by, which has offices for 25,000 employees.
