A fire at a nursing home in Longhua county, Chengde, Hebei province, has left 20 people dead as of Wednesday morning, local authorities said.

The fire, which broke out around 9:48 pm on Tuesday, was extinguished around 11 pm, according to a report by People's Daily.

Related departments involving fire and rescue, emergency management, public security and health care were dispatched immediately to the scene.

Authorities confirmed that 20 individuals died in the incident, while 19 people were transported to hospitals for medical observation, the report said.

The facility's responsible personnel have been brought under control by public security authorities.

Investigations into the cause of the fire, along with victims' family support efforts, are underway, it said.