At least 28 people were killed after a massive fire tore through a footwear factory in Jinjiang, a major manufacturing hub in China's southeastern Fujian province, on Friday. More than 200 workers were evacuated, while hundreds of firefighters and rescue personnel battled the blaze that rapidly engulfed the factory.

According to Chinese state media, the fire broke out around noon local time at the Huiteng Footwear factory, where nearly 240 employees were present when the incident occurred.

Dramatic visuals from the scene showed thick black smoke billowing into the sky as several workers waited on the factory rooftop for rescue while emergency teams carried out evacuation operations.

28 Dead After Rescue Operation

Authorities said 213 workers were safely evacuated from the building. Two injured workers later died in hospital, while rescue teams recovered the bodies of 26 employees who had initially been reported missing, taking the death toll to 28.

Officials have not yet released the number of people injured in the incident.

More than 500 rescue personnel, along with hundreds of firefighters and emergency responders, were deployed to contain the blaze and search the damaged building.

Flammable Materials Accelerated Fire

Preliminary investigations indicate that the fire originated on the ground floor of the factory, where large quantities of highly flammable shoe-making materials, adhesives and chemicals were stored.

Authorities said the combustible materials allowed the flames to spread rapidly through the building, making rescue operations significantly more challenging.

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that thick chemical fumes caused severe eye irritation for rescue workers, while goods stored in stairwells obstructed evacuation routes and slowed firefighting efforts.

Investigation Underway

Chinese authorities have detained several individuals associated with the factory's ownership as part of the investigation into the cause of the fire.

Officials have also frozen the company's bank accounts while investigators examine whether violations of industrial safety regulations contributed to the tragedy.

The exact cause of the blaze has not yet been officially confirmed.

President Xi Orders Strict Accountability

Chinese President Xi Jinping described the incident as a tragedy resulting in "major casualties" and called for those responsible to be held strictly accountable.

He urged authorities to draw "profound lessons" from the disaster and directed officials across the country to strengthen workplace safety measures, improve industrial inspections and prevent similar accidents in factories and manufacturing facilities.

China's Major Footwear Manufacturing Hub

Jinjiang is widely regarded as China's "shoe capital" and is one of the country's largest centres for footwear and apparel manufacturing.

According to official figures, thousands of footwear companies based in the city produced more than 1.2 billion pairs of shoes in 2024, accounting for nearly 20% of global sports shoe production.

The latest factory fire has renewed concerns about industrial safety standards in China's manufacturing sector, particularly in facilities handling flammable chemicals and combustible raw materials. Authorities are expected to continue rescue operations and conduct a detailed forensic examination of the site in the coming days