BEIJING: At least 28 people were killed after a fire swept through a shoe factory in eastern China's Fujian province on Thursday, prompting a massive rescue operation involving more than 500 firefighters and emergency personnel.
The blaze erupted around midday at the Huiteng Shoes factory in Jinjiang, a major manufacturing hub for athletic footwear. Authorities said several people were initially feared trapped inside the multi-story building as firefighters battled the flames.
According to China's state news agency Xinhua, President Xi Jinping described the incident as causing "heavy human losses" and ordered a swift investigation into the cause of the fire.
State broadcaster CCTV aired footage showing thick black smoke pouring from shattered windows as firefighters sprayed water into the building. Some workers were seen taking refuge near windows and on the roof while flames engulfed the lower floors.
Fire officials said blocked stairwells and emergency exits, obstructed by shoe materials, hampered rescue efforts. They added that adhesives and other flammable materials used in shoe manufacturing helped fuel the blaze.
Authorities said 237 factory workers and two delivery personnel were at the facility when the fire broke out. More than 200 people were evacuated, although officials did not immediately reconcile the evacuation figures with the reported death toll.
Chinese authorities have detained the factory owner and several other individuals, frozen the company's bank accounts, and launched an investigation into the incident.
Calling for accountability, Xi said those responsible must be held strictly liable and urged authorities across the country to strengthen industrial safety measures following a series of deadly workplace accidents this year.
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The fire is among the latest in a string of major industrial disasters in China, renewing concerns over workplace safety standards despite ongoing government campaigns to improve fire prevention and emergency preparedness.
