New Delhi: A massive fire broke out in a skyscraper in the central Chinese city of Changsha in the southern province of Hunan on Friday.

The blaze broke out in a 42-floor building housing an office of state-owned telecommunications company China Telecom, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

“Thick smoke billowed from the site, and dozens of floors burned ferociously,” CCTV reported.

According to reports, the fire has been brought under control, but casualty numbers are not known yet.

A thick cloud of smoke was seen billowing from the site with several dozen floors burning ferociously.

Visuals show massive pieces of debris being cast away from the office tower.

An initial photograph released by CCTV showed orange flames searing through the building in a built-up area of the city as black smoke billowed into the sky.

A later image shared on social media appeared to show that the flames had subsided, as emergency personnel sprayed jets of water onto its charred facade.

China Telecom said in a statement on social media, “By around 4:30 pm today, the fire at our No. 2 Communications Tower in Changsha has been extinguished.

“No casualties have yet been discovered and communications have not been cut off.”