The fire broke out early Friday morning, officials said at a press conference, with a preliminary investigation suggesting the blaze started on the building's first floor, where electric bikes had been placed.
The building is located in the Yuhuatai district of Nanjing, a city of more than eight million that lies about 260km northwest of Shanghai.
By 6 a.m. (10 p.m. GMT, Thursday), the fire had been extinguished, and a search and rescue operation ended around 2 p.m. on Friday, authorities said.
Twenty-five fire trucks were mobilized to fight the blaze, emergency services said, CNA reported.
Footage circulating on Chinese social networks showed a skyscraper on fire in the middle of the night, with black smoke pouring from it.
Other images show gigantic flames consuming several floors of the building, the flashing lights of emergency vehicles visible nearby in the dark.
Additional footage, apparently taken later, shows white smoke pouring from several points in the building.
The 44 injured people were sent to hospital for treatment, officials said, adding one was in "critical condition" while another was seriously injured.
MP/PR
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