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Fire at a shoe factory in China’s Fujian province killed 28 people. Authorities rescued 213 workers, while the factory owner and others were arrested.
A shoe factory in China was engulfed in an inferno which killed at least 28 people. Over 200 people were rescued. (Image source: AP)
A fire broke out at a shoe factory in eastern China’s Fujian province on Thursday, killing 28 people, the state-run Xinhua News Agency reported. Chinese President Xi Jinping called for an “all-out” search and rescue effort after the incident.
He also urged authorities to carry out a swift investigation and said those responsible must be held accountable.
The blaze started at a factory owned by the Huiteng shoe company in the city of Jinjiang, according to a statement from the city’s fire department. Officials said the cause of the fire was not immediately known.
There were 237 factory workers and two visitors inside the building when the fire broke out. Emergency teams moved quickly to evacuate people from the site.
Authorities said 213 people were rescued or evacuated from the building. Of the 28 people who died, two were pronounced dead after they were taken to a hospital, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
The condition of those rescued was not immediately shared. Xinhua reported that the factory’s owner and other people in charge have been arrested.
Authorities have also frozen the company’s accounts as part of the investigation. Video footage released by CCTV showed a multi-storey factory building with its outer walls charred black.
White smoke could be seen rising from the structure. Earlier visuals showed flames burning across several floors, with thick black smoke surrounding the building.
Jinjiang, where the fire took place, is widely known as China’s shoe capital due to its large manufacturing base. The incident has raised concerns about safety at industrial sites in the region.
Further details about the cause of the fire and the ongoing investigation are expected to be released by authorities.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – Associated Press)
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