At least 28 people have been killed after a shoe factory in Jinjiang city, Fujian province, southeast China, was destroyed in a major fire on Thursday.
Dramatic footage shared by local media showed thick black smoke rising from the factory building, while several individuals were believed to have been trapped on the rooftop as they waited for rescue teams to arrive.
Chinese President Xi Jinping described the incident as a tragedy involving a “significant loss of life” and ordered a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the blaze.
He also stressed that those responsible for the incident must face strict action.
The fire reportedly broke out around noon local time at the Huiteng factory in Jinjiang, a city known as China’s “shoe capital” due to its contribution of around 20 per cent of the world’s sports shoe production.
Hundreds of rescue personnel were deployed to the scene, while more than 200 workers were successfully evacuated from the factory, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
Authorities have yet to confirm the total number of injured victims, but preliminary investigations suggested the fire may have started on the ground floor of the factory, where flammable materials were stored.
Several individuals linked to the factory owner have been detained to assist investigations, while the company’s bank accounts were frozen as part of the probe.
The incident comes as China continues to strengthen fire safety measures in high-rise buildings and industrial facilities following several major fires that resulted in numerous fatalities in recent years.
