Jinjiang — At least 28 people were killed when a fire tore through a multi-storey shoe factory in Jinjiang, southeastern China's Fujian province, on Thursday, 9 July 2026, trapping workers on the rooftop, state-run news agency Xinhua.
The blaze broke out around noon local time at footwear manufacturer Huiteng in Jinjiang's Chendai township, a city known as China's "shoe capital."
A total of 239 people, including 237 factory workers and two visitors, were in the building when the fire started, Xinhua reported.
Authorities evacuated or rescued 213 people, two of whom later died in hospital, while 26 others previously reported missing were later confirmed dead.
Videos released by state broadcaster CCTV shows flames engulfing the building as thick black smoke billowed into the sky, with several people visible on the rooftop as they awaited rescue.
China's President Xi Jinping demanded an "all-out" search and rescue effort and called for a swift investigation.
"The cause of the accident should be identified as soon as possible and...those responsible must be strictly held accountable," President Xi said, as quoted by Xinhua.
A local fire official told CCTV that preliminary findings indicated the fire started on the ground floor. Shoe-making materials stored in the building were highly flammable and allowed the blaze to spread quickly, the official said, adding that large quantities of items piled in stairwells had hampered rescue and firefighting efforts.
More than 180 firefighters and 35 emergency vehicles were dispatched to the scene, and most open flames had been extinguished by early evening, local media reported.
