A devastating fire ripped through a shoe factory in eastern China on Thursday, killing at least 28 people.
The fierce blaze broke out around noon at the multi-storey Huiteng Shoes factory located in Jinjiang city, Fujian province.
Thick, toxic black smoke billowed from shattered windows as trapped workers desperately sought refuge on the building’s rooftop.
More than 500 emergency personnel raced against the clock, fighting blocked stairwells and highly flammable shoe adhesives to reach survivors.
Rescuers successfully evacuated 213 people from the inferno, though authorities fear several others remain missing and out of contact.
President Xi Jinping lamented the heavy human losses and demanded that those responsible be strictly held accountable for the tragedy.
Police have already detained the company owner and frozen the factory’s financial accounts as a formal investigation begins.
Jinjiang city serves as a massive global hub for athletic footwear, where factories often store highly combustible manufacturing materials.
This disaster follows a string of deadly industrial accidents across China this year, sparking nationwide concerns over lax safety.
Officials are now ordering rigorous safety overhauls across all regions to prevent further catastrophic losses in the industrial sector.