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Death toll rises to 28 after massive fire at shoe factory in eastern China

By The South Asia Times

BEIJING - At least 28 people were killed after a devastating fire swept through a shoe factory in eastern China's Fujian province, local authorities said on Friday, as rescue operations concluded and an investigation into the cause of the blaze got underway.

The fire broke out at 12:04 p.m. on Thursday at the factory building of Huiteng Shoes Co. in Jiangtou village, Chendai township, Jinjiang city, part of Quanzhou in Fujian Province, according to state-run Global Times.

More than 500 emergency responders, including firefighters, medical personnel, police and emergency management teams, were deployed to the scene. Authorities said 213 people were rescued from the burning building.

Two of the rescued victims later died in hospital, while search teams recovered the bodies of 26 people who had been reported missing, bringing the total death toll to 28.

Officials said the search-and-rescue operation was largely completed shortly after midnight on Friday, with efforts now focused on assisting victims' families and handling post-disaster recovery.

At a Friday morning press conference, attendees observed a moment of silence for those who lost their lives. Quanzhou Mayor Cai Zhansheng bowed in tribute to the victims and offered an apology over the tragedy.

"This accident resulted in heavy casualties, the cost has been devastating, and the lesson learned is profound," Cai said.

Authorities announced that the Fujian provincial government has established an investigation team to determine the cause of the fire. Legal action has already been taken against the head of the company and other individuals deemed responsible, pending the outcome of the investigation.

Mayor Cai also pledged to launch a citywide inspection campaign aimed at identifying and eliminating workplace safety hazards, strengthening enforcement of safety regulations, and preventing similar industrial disasters in the future.

The incident is one of China's deadliest factory fires in recent years and is expected to intensify scrutiny of industrial safety standards across the country's manufacturing sector.