WEB DESK: A devastating fire broke out at a shoe manufacturing plant in eastern China on Thursday, resulting in at least 28 fatalities, according to official reports. Emergency crews and firefighting teams rushed to contain the blaze at the Huiteng Shoes factory located in Jinjiang city, Fujian province.
The fire erupted around midday (0400 GMT), and authorities expressed concern that several workers might still be trapped inside the multi-story building as efforts to control the flames intensified.
Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed deep sorrow over the incident, describing the fire as causing “significant human losses.” The state news agency Xinhua confirmed the preliminary death toll of 28 victims.
Footage broadcast by CCTV depicted firefighters battling the fire on the exterior and interior of the large, white, multi-storey structure, with thick black smoke billowing into the sky. Witnesses saw individuals seeking safety by taking refuge near windows and on the roof while the fire consumed the lower floors.
The Ministry of Emergency Management announced that 183 rescue personnel and 35 vehicles had been dispatched to the scene. President Xi urged authorities to ramp up search and rescue efforts and to prioritize the safety of those still inside.
Jinjiang fire chief Du Zhenzhou reported that firefighters faced difficulties accessing upper floors due to blocked stairwells and exits filled with shoe manufacturing materials. The factory stored adhesives and raw materials that contributed to the fire’s spread.
Live images showed the charred remains of the building with grey smoke emanating from broken windows. Xi Jinping emphasized the need for swift investigation into the cause of the fire and accountability for those responsible.
By late Thursday afternoon, emergency teams worked tirelessly to extinguish the flames, search for survivors, and tend to the injured. Some victims remain unaccounted for and are out of contact, officials said.
President Xi also highlighted that China has experienced several major industrial safety incidents this year. He stressed the importance of learning lessons from these tragedies and implementing strict safety protocols across all sectors.
This incident follows a series of industrial fires in China, including a large fire in Hong Kong’s high-rise buildings last November that claimed 168 lives. In December, a residential fire in Guangdong resulted in 12 deaths, and in May, a fireworks factory explosion in central China killed 37 people, marking one of the country’s deadliest industrial accidents in recent years.
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