At least 28 people have been killed in a fire at a shoe factory in Jinjiang, a city in southeastern China's Fujian province, according to state news agency Xinhua. The blaze erupted around noon local time (05:00 BST) on Thursday at the Huiteng Footwear factory, prompting a large-scale emergency response.
Fire and Rescue Operations
Dramatic footage posted by Xinhua showed huge plumes of black smoke rising from the multi-story building, with several people apparently trapped on the roof as smoke swirled around them. Hundreds of rescue workers were rushed to the scene, state broadcaster CCTV reported, and more than 200 people were evacuated. Fire and rescue teams dispatched 183 personnel and 35 vehicles to the site. Firefighting efforts were still underway by late afternoon, although open flames had largely been extinguished by about 5:40 p.m. (0940 GMT), a local firefighting official told CCTV.
Cause and Investigation
Preliminary findings indicate the fire started on the ground floor of the factory, where highly flammable shoe-making materials were stored, a local official told CCTV. The official noted that these materials could cause a blaze to spread rapidly. Due to the materials and adhesives present, the smell at the scene was quite pungent, causing eye irritation, according to CCTV. Authorities have detained a number of people who work for the factory’s owners, and the firm’s bank account was frozen, Xinhua reported.
Official Response
President Xi Jinping said the blaze had caused “major casualties” and ordered that those responsible must be held “strictly accountable.” The incident has renewed focus on fire safety in industrial facilities, especially after a blaze ripped through several Hong Kong apartment buildings in November, killing 168 people, prompting a nationwide campaign to prevent fires in high-rise buildings.
Jinjiang: China's Shoe Capital
Jinjiang, in the coastal Fujian province, is a major footwear and apparel manufacturing hub often referred to as China’s “shoe capital.” The thousands of companies in the city produced over 1.2 billion pairs of shoes in 2024, accounting for 20% of global output, according to official data. The Huiteng Footwear factory is one of many such enterprises in the region.
