At least 28 killed in shoe factory fire in Jinjiang, Fujian

At least 28 people have been killed in a fire at a shoe factory in Jinjiang, in China's Fujian province, according to state media. Many others were still thought to be trapped inside the building as firefighters continued rescue efforts on Thursday. The blaze broke out around noon at the Huiteng Shoes factory in Jiangtou village and sent thick black smoke over the site.

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Local reporting said the fire started on the ground floor and spread quickly through the multistorey building. More than 180 firefighters and rescue workers were dispatched, along with 35 emergency vehicles, to try to reach people inside. By early evening, most of the open flames had been extinguished, but emergency teams were still working at the scene.

President Xi Jinping warned of significant casualties and called for those responsible to be held strictly accountable. The Ministry of Emergency Management ordered an all-out effort to extinguish the blaze, search for survivors and treat the injured. State media said emergency workers had lost communication with some of those trapped inside.

Officials also said flammable materials used in shoe production likely helped the fire spread rapidly. Footage shared online showed people on the rooftop of the building as smoke filled the area. The fire is the latest reminder of the risks posed by industrial accidents in China, where workplace safety enforcement has often come under scrutiny.

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Such incidents can be especially severe in factories that store or use highly flammable materials. The scale of the response in Jinjiang suggests authorities are treating the case as a major emergency, with both rescue and investigation efforts under way. The incident also comes after a nationwide campaign to remove fire hazards in high-rise buildings was launched in November, following a deadly blaze in a residential complex in Hong Kong.

That earlier fire killed 168 people and was among the deadliest residential fires in the world. In China, workplace safety remains a recurring concern, with official figures showing more than 13,400 workplace safety accidents and 12,804 deaths in the first three quarters of 2024. What remains unclear is the full number of people still missing, the condition of those rescued, and the final cause of the fire.

Authorities have said the cause should be identified as soon as possible, and the investigation is expected to focus on how the blaze began and whether safety rules were followed. Rescue teams are still searching the site, and further updates are likely as officials confirm the toll and assess the damage.

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