Factory Fire in Jinjiang Claims 28 Lives

A blaze at the Huiteng Footwear factory in the southeast Chinese city of Jinjiang killed at least 28 people on Thursday, the state news agency Xinhua confirmed.

Grotesque footage posted on Xinhua shows black smoke billowing from the building, with workers seen trapped on the roof during the inferno.

President Xi Jinping called the incident a tragedy with “major casualties” and urged strict accountability for those responsible.

Jinjiang, home to many shoe manufacturers and generating approximately 20 per cent of the world’s sports footwear, was the site of this uncontrolled fire at around noon local time.

Hundreds of rescue teams rushed in, evacuating more than 200 workers; however, the total number of injuries remains unclear.

Investigations suggest the fire may have started on the ground floor where flammable materials were stored.

Authorities have detained several associated personnel and frozen the factory’s bank account.

The incident follows China’s nationwide campaign to prevent high‑rise building fires after a deadly blaze in Hong Kong last year that killed 168 people.