"There are no reports of death so far," Zhang Zhiping, a senior official with the local government was quoted as saying by China Daily.

Witnesses said the fire broke out in a small shop in the Qiaonan Market at about 0700 hrs and soon spread northwest to a nearby hotel.

Flames continued through the evening, burning an area of 20,000 square metres, said Zhang. The cause of the fire remains unclear.

The 69 injured were mostly shop owners but included 16 fire-fighters, the report said. Some guests in the neighbouring hotel were also injured, said Zhang.

Built in the 1990s, the multi-storied Qiaonan Market includes more than a 100 small shops selling textiles, clothes and electronic products.