"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.

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.

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.