A catastrophic fire at the Huiteng shoe factory in Jinjiang, Fujian province, has killed 28 people. The blaze broke out at midday inside the five-story facility, which was occupied by nearly 240 people. While emergency crews successfully rescued 213 workers, 26 bodies were recovered from the debris, and two individuals later succumbed to their injuries at a hospital.
Preliminary investigations reveal the fire started on the ground floor, spreading rapidly due to highly flammable rubber and chemical adhesives used in footwear manufacturing. Rescue efforts were severely hindered by toxic smoke and stockpiles of raw materials illegally blocking the factory’s emergency stairwells.
The industrial disaster prompted immediate intervention from Beijing. Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered an all-out response, demanding that those responsible be strictly held accountable.
“The cause of the accident should be identified as soon as possible,” President Xi Jinping stated in a national directive.
Following the orders, local police arrested the factory owner and frozen corporate accounts. The tragedy has prompted the Ministry of Emergency Management to launch an immediate nationwide safety compliance review across major manufacturing hubs.
