BEIJING, July 20 -- The Work Safety Commission under the State Council has decided to supervise the investigations into a department store fire Wednesday in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

The commission asked local authorities to promptly carry out the investigations to find out the cause of the accident, submit the investigation report to it for approval, and then release the result to the public.

The fire broke out around 6 p.m. Wednesday at a 14-story building in Zigong City, Sichuan. A total of 16 people were killed.