Twenty-eight people have been killed in a fire that ripped through a shoe factory in Fujian province on Thursday.

President Xi Jinping said the fire at the Huiteng Shoes factory in the city of Jinjiang in Quanzhou resulted in "heavy human losses" and called for all-out efforts in search and rescue operations.

The fire broke out at around noon.

Footage shared by CCTV showed firefighters dousing the facade and interior of a large, multi-storey white building with fire hoses, as thick black smoke poured out.

Several people, apparently trapped by the blaze, could be seen on the rooftop as smoke swirled around them.

Preliminary findings indicated the fire started on the ground floor of the factory, a local official told CCTV.

Xi said efforts must also be made to identify the cause of the blaze and hold those responsible strictly accountable.

Noting that multiple major workplace safety accidents have occurred in the country since the beginning of this year, Xi required all regions and relevant departments to draw profound lessons from these accidents, better coordinate development and security, and remain constantly vigilant about workplace safety.

He added that efforts must be made to thoroughly identify and root out all types of safety risks and hidden hazards.

The Ministry of Emergency Management, together with the National Fire and Rescue Administration, dispatched a joint work team to Jinjiang to guide rescue and response efforts.

Local fire and rescue teams deployed 183 personnel and 35 vehicles to the scene. (Xinhua & agencies)
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Last updated: 2026-07-09 HKT 23:12



Edited by Edmond Fong