A catastrophic fire tore through a shoe manufacturing plant in Jinjiang, China, on Thursday, resulting in the deaths of 28 individuals. The facility, operated by the Huiteng shoe company, was occupied by 237 workers and two visitors at the time the incident began. According to the city’s fire department, while 213 people were successfully evacuated or rescued from the building, the death toll reached 28, with two victims passing away after being transported to a local hospital.
In response to the tragedy, Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for an all-out search and rescue operation. He further urged authorities to conduct a swift and thorough investigation into the cause of the blaze, emphasizing that those responsible must be held strictly accountable. Following the incident, officials have moved to arrest the factory’s owner and other individuals in charge, and the company’s financial accounts have been frozen.
Footage broadcast by CCTV captured the severity of the disaster, showing flames consuming multiple floors of the building as thick, black smoke billowed into the air. Subsequent images revealed the charred exterior of the multi-story structure. The city of Jinjiang, where the fire occurred, is widely recognized as China’s shoe capital.
Of the 28 people who died, two were pronounced dead after being taken to a hospital, according to state broadcaster CCTV.Xinhua said the factory’s owner and others in charge have been arrested and the company’s accounts have been frozen.Video by CCTV shows the facade of a building of several floors charred black and covered in white smoke.
