Shoe factory fire in southeastern China kills at least 28
State media reported at least 28 deaths after a fire swept through a shoe factory in Jinjiang, with rescuers still trying to reach trapped people.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
2 min read
A fire at a shoe factory in southeastern China killed at least 28 people on Thursday, according to state media. The toll could rise, as emergency crews were still trying to reach people believed to be trapped inside the building.
The blaze started around noon local time, or 04:00 GMT, in Jinjiang, a city in Fujian province, state and local media reported. Local outlets identified the site as the Huiteng Shoes factory in Jiangtou village.
China’s state news agency Xinhua reported the preliminary death toll of 28. It also said emergency workers had lost contact with some people trapped in the factory.
More than 180 firefighters and rescue personnel were sent to the scene, along with 35 emergency vehicles, according to local media. By early evening, most visible flames had been put out, local reports said.
Videos shared online showed thick black smoke pouring from a multistorey building, with several people visible on the roof as the fire burned below, according to Al Jazeera, AFP and Reuters. Rescue teams continued efforts to search the building and reach those still inside.
Chinese President Xi Jinping warned of “significant casualties” and called for a rapid investigation into the fire. “The cause of the accident should be identified as soon as possible and … those responsible must be strictly held accountable,” Xi said.
The Ministry of Emergency Management ordered an “all-out” effort to extinguish the blaze, find survivors and treat the injured. Authorities did not immediately announce a final casualty count or a confirmed cause.
An official cited in local reporting said the factory contained flammable materials used in shoe manufacturing, which likely helped the fire spread quickly. Preliminary assessments indicated the fire began on the ground floor, according to Xinhua.
Industrial fires and other workplace accidents have remained a recurring problem in China, where Al Jazeera, AFP and Reuters reported that weak safety standards and poor enforcement have been blamed in some cases. Some observers have linked enforcement failures to corruption among officials responsible for compliance.
The Jinjiang fire follows a national campaign launched by Beijing in November to reduce fire risks in high-rise buildings. That campaign came after a major residential fire in Hong Kong killed 168 people, according to Al Jazeera, AFP and Reuters.
China recorded more than 13,400 workplace safety accidents in the first three quarters of 2024, resulting in 12,804 deaths, according to figures cited by Al Jazeera, AFP and Reuters.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.