A fire at a vegetable market in north China killed eight people and injured 15 on Saturday, local authorities reported.

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"The injured have been sent to hospital for treatment and are currently not in life-threatening danger," the Qiaoxi District People's Government said after the blaze in Zhangjiakou City, northwest of Beijing.

The fire at the Liguang market broke out at around 8:40 am (0040 GMT) and was extinguished after 10 am, the district government said.

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The cause of the blaze is under investigation.

Deadly fires are relatively common in China due to lax building codes and an often slipshod approach to workplace safety.

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A blaze in the major city of Chengdu in October left 24 people hospitalised with breathing difficulties, state media reported.

In July, a fire at a shopping centre in the southwestern city of Zigong killed 16 people.

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