意大利一华商服装厂发生火灾 7名中国工人遇难（在线收听）

The Chinese embassy to Italy has confirmed that a fire at a garment factory in central Italy early Sunday killed at least seven Chinese workers and seriously injured two others.

Rescue workers on the scene of the fire in Prato.

The Chinese consulate in Florence has sent officials to help with the rescue and investigation work. Officials visited those injured, and asked Italy side to make an all-out effort to treat them. They also called on the Italian government to guarantee the legal rights of overseas Chinese in Italy.

The blaze broke out at about 7 a.m. local time Sunday, and the factory roof partially collapsed. Local police say plasterboard cubicles in the factory, which were used for workers’ accommodation, collapsed and created sparks that started the fire.

11 people were sleeping in the cubicles at the time. Prato town is known for its hundreds of Chinese-owned wholesalers and workshops producing low-cost clothing for the export market.