28 killed in factory blaze in the heart of Chinese shoe manufacturing hub

Twenty-eight people died following a massive fire in a shoe factory in China’s eastern Fujian province, on Thursday, state news agency Xinhua reported.Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered an all-out effort to rescue and treat the victims, and investigate.The blaze was reported at 12.04pm at the Huiteng Shoes factory on Kaituo Road East in the village of Jiangtou in Chendai township, Jinjiang.Fire authorities in the city of Quanzhou sent emergency crews, including 183 firefighters and 35 fire trucks, to the scene, state broadcaster CCTV reported. By late Thursday afternoon, local authorities said the fire had been brought under control, according to CCTV.An ambulance is on standby at the footwear factory fire in Jinjiang on Thursday. Photo: XinhuaVideo footage circulating on social media showed towering flames and thick black smoke billowing from the building, with several people trapped on the rooftop signalling for help. Witnesses reported seeing a helicopter deployed for rescue operations.Xi ordered “all-out efforts” to rescue the trapped, treat the injured and properly handle follow-up care and family consolation, while demanding “a swift inquiry into the cause of the fire and for those responsible to be held accountable”, according to Xinhua.