World - The burning shell of an unfinished, 44-story luxury hotel lit the night sky over downtown Beijing on Monday after being showered with sparks from fireworks set off during China's biggest holiday. Flames surged up one side of the hotel and sent off huge plumes of black smoke, showering the ground with embers as police held back crowds of onlookers.

There were no reports of deaths or injuries.

Beijing usually tightly restricts the use of fireworks downtown, but waives the rules each year during the Lunar New Year holiday. Monday was the final day for fireworks, marking the first full moon since the Lunar New Year, and massive barrages exploded in open spaces throughout the city.

The Rem Koolhaas-designed Mandarin Oriental hotel was part of a striking complex that helped transform the capital's skyline for last year's Olympics. It is next to China Central Television's landmark Z-shaped headquarters, a major prestige project for the government. The television headquarters was not burning.

The hotel had been expected to be one of Beijing's most luxurious when it opened this year.

It caught fire sometime before 9 p.m. as the skies were filled with fireworks.

One onlooker, Li Jian, said he saw smoke rise from the hotel's roof shortly after a huge burst of fireworks showered it with sparks, though it was not clear if the sparks started the fire.

"Smoke came out for a little while, but then it just started burning," Li said.

People answering the phone at the Beijing fire department said they were unable to release any details.

At least seven fire crews were on the scene, and police closed a nearby elevated highway to ensure safety.

Crews had largely extinguished the larger flames about three hours after the fire began, although hot spots continued to flicker.

The hotel and the television tower were designed by Netherlands architects Rem Koolhaas and Ole Scheeren for the firm OMA. Both were nearing the end of construction.

The fire destroyed years of hard work, said Erik Amir, a senior architect at OMA, who rushed to the site.

"I think it's really sad that this building is destroyed before it can be opened to the public," he said.

Written and photos by Associated Press