The State Council's Work Safety Committee issued a notice on Friday to supervise the investigation and handling of a major fire accident in Zigong, Southwest China's Sichuan province, which resulted in the death of 16 people.

On Wednesday, a major fire accident occurred at a department store building in Zigong. According to local authorities, all injured individuals have received proper medical treatment.

The committee has ordered Sichuan province to promptly organize an investigation into the accident, swiftly ascertain the cause of the incident, and strictly adhere to the requirements of accident investigation regulations to formulate handling measures.

Prior to closing the case, the draft accident investigation report should be submitted to the State Council's Work Safety Committee office for review and approval, and the province should be responsible for approving the closure and making the details public, said the committee.

Following the closure, the status of implementing the accident investigation report and the decisions on handling the accident should be promptly reported to the State Council's Work Safety Committee office for record-keeping.

According to a statement issued by local emergency management bureau on Thursday, preliminary investigations showed that the fire was triggered by construction operations, and the specific details are currently under further investigation. Post-incident cleanup and recovery efforts are underway.