28 killed in factory blaze in the heart of Chinese shoe manufacturing hub
President Xi Jinping demands ‘a swift inquiry into the cause of the fire and for those responsible to be held accountable’
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.
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 35 fire engines, to the scene, state broadcaster CCTV reported, and by late Thursday afternoon the fire had been brought under control.
Over 500 firefighters ultimately joined the rescue mission, according to Xinhua. Some 213 people were evacuated from the building, two of whom died in hospital; 26 others who were initially reported missing were later confirmed dead.
Police have detained the company’s owner and several others suspected of bearing responsibility for the fire, Xinhua said.
