What started out as simple fun, turned into a tragedy.  

Fire officials say, a 9-year-old boy started a fire that gutted a wholesale market in China, killing at least 17 people.

Nine people were injured, including four firefighters who responded to the scene. 

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Police say, the boy, who was playing with a lighter, triggered the blaze on the fourth floor of a warehouse in Guangdong province.  The boy, surnamed Luo, is now in police custody for further questioning. 

The fire broke out about 1:51pm Thursday. The flames quickly spread throughout the floor, which was full of decorative and flammable materials. About 240 firefighters scrambled to put out the blaze which lasted several hours.  The fire was declared under control by 7:35pm. 

An excavator was needed to dismantle a wall to allow trapped people to escape.

Aside from the boy, nine mall managers were earlier detained by authorities. 

China has had a long history of workplace disasters as well as poor record on worker safety.

In November 2014, a fire gutted a vegetable processing plant in eastern China killing at least 18 people.

In June 2013, over a hundred people died when a poultry processing plant burned down.  Most exits were said to be blocked, which led to panic and people getting crushed.

Tagsfire, Market