Fire at Fujian Shoe Factory Kills 28 People

A major fire erupted on Thursday at the Huiteng Shoes Co factory in Jinjiang city, located in Fujian province in eastern China, causing the death of 28 individuals, Chinese state television reported.

The blaze began around noon local time (7:00 a.m. Moscow time) in the multi-story building's ground floor, where highly flammable materials and adhesives used in shoe manufacturing were stored. These substances accelerated the fire's spread and produced thick, foul-smelling chemical smoke.

Fujian province, known as the "shoe capital" due to its significant contribution to global shoe production, was the site of this deadly incident.

Emergency response teams dispatched more than 180 firefighters and 35 emergency vehicles to the scene to combat the fire.

Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the fire and to hold accountable those responsible. He described the incident as causing "heavy human losses" and issued urgent instructions to maximize efforts in search and rescue operations and to provide support to the victims' families.