CHENGDU - The death toll from the department store fire in Zigong city, southwest China's Sichuan province, has risen to 16 as of around 3 am on Thursday, according to the local fire and rescue headquarters.

Authorities said the rescue operation at the site was completed, and there are no longer any trapped individuals.

The fire in a 14-story building, located in a high-tech zone in the city, was reported at approximately 6 pm on Wednesday, and there was a significant amount of thick smoke at the scene.  

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According to preliminary investigations, the fire was caused by construction work.