At least 28 killed in fire at shoe factory in eastern China’s Fujian province, state media reports

A major fire tore through a shoe factory in eastern China on Thursday, killing at least 28 people, state media reported.

The blaze broke out around noon at the Huiteng Shoes factory in Jinjiang city in Fujian province. Authorities said there were fears people were still trapped inside the multi-story building in the hours after the fire began.

President Xi Jinping said the fire resulted in “heavy human losses.” Xinhua later cited a preliminary death toll of 28.

Images and video broadcast by state television showed firefighters using hoses to douse the factory’s facade and interior while thick smoke poured out from parts of the structure. Some people were seen taking refuge near windows and on the roof as the fire raged through lower floors.

China’s Ministry of Emergency Management said fire and rescue teams dispatched 183 people and 35 vehicles to the scene. It called for all-out efforts to extinguish the blaze, search for trapped survivors, and treat the injured. Xinhua also reported that some people were “out of contact.”

The incident is the latest in a wider push by China to target fire hazards in high-rise buildings. Authorities have previously launched safety campaigns after deadly fires in other regions.