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At least 28 people were killed after a fire broke out at a footwear manufacturing factory in Jinjiang, Fujian province, in southeastern China. The blaze, which erupted around midday earlier this week, engulfed the multi-storey building and trapped several workers on the rooftop as thick smoke spread through the premises. Of the 239 people present at the factory, 213 were evacuated, while 26 workers initially reported missing were later confirmed dead. Chinese President Xi Jinping called for an all-out rescue effort, a swift investigation into the cause of the incident and strict accountability for those found responsible. Company personnel have been detained and the firm's bank accounts frozen.
A fire at a footwear manufacturing factory in Jinjiang, Fujian province, claimed the lives of at least 28 people after flames swept through the multi-storey building earlier this week, according to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency. The incident occurred at the Huiteng shoe factory, where hundreds of workers were present when the blaze broke out.
The fire started at around noon local time on Thursday. Official figures released by Xinhua stated that 239 people were inside the factory at the time. Emergency responders evacuated 213 workers, while two of those rescued later died in hospital. Authorities subsequently confirmed that the 26 individuals who had initially been reported missing had died in the incident, taking the death toll to 28.
Television footage released by Chinese state media showed flames engulfing the factory as dense black smoke rose into the sky. Several workers were seen stranded on the rooftop while firefighters attempted to contain the blaze and carry out rescue operations.
Chinese President Xi Jinping directed authorities to mobilise all available resources for rescue efforts and instructed officials to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the cause of the fire. He noted that the incident followed several fatal accidents at industrial facilities across the country in recent months and called for those responsible to be held strictly accountable.
Firefighting operations continued throughout the afternoon. Local firefighting officials told state broadcaster CCTV that open flames had largely been extinguished by around 4 pm local time, although thick smoke continued to rise from the site and multiple fire engines remained engaged in cooling operations into the evening.
Preliminary investigations indicated that the fire originated on the ground floor of the factory. Local officials told CCTV that the building contained large quantities of shoe manufacturing materials and adhesives, which are highly flammable and contributed to the rapid spread of the fire. Authorities also reported that storage of materials in stairwells obstructed evacuation routes and complicated firefighting and rescue operations.
The pungent fumes produced by burning adhesives and other industrial materials caused eye irritation for rescue personnel working at the site, according to state media reports.
Following the incident, authorities detained company management and other relevant personnel while freezing the company's bank accounts as investigations continue. Officials have not yet disclosed the precise cause of the fire.
Jinjiang, located in China's coastal Fujian province, is regarded as one of the country's principal footwear manufacturing centres and is widely known as China's "shoe capital". Official data indicates that the city's thousands of footwear manufacturers produced more than 1.2 billion pairs of shoes in 2024, accounting for approximately 20% of global footwear output.
Authorities are continuing their investigation to determine the exact cause of the fire and whether safety violations contributed to one of China's deadliest industrial accidents in recent months.
Source - Reuters
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