At least 28 people died in a massive fire at the Huiteng Shoes Factory in eastern China’s Fujian province on Thursday. Hundreds of firefighters were deployed and emergency crews worked for hours to extinguish the fire. According to state news agency Xinhua, the fire broke out at about 12.04 pm (local time) at the Huiteng Shoes Factory on Kaituo Road East in Jiangtou Village, Chendai Township, Xinjiang City. Within minutes, the fire engulfed the building, sending thick black smoke into the sky.
Authorities in nearby Quanzhou dispatched 183 firefighters and 35 fire engines to extinguish the blaze. Rescue teams worked for hours before bringing the fire under control in the afternoon.
Sugar Horrific scenes from the factory were seen in videos shared on social media. High flames engulfed large parts of the building and heavy smoke rose into the sky. Many people were seen trapped on the roof, waving for help, while rescue teams tried to reach them. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
President ordered rescue
President Xi Jinping responded quickly to the disaster, ordering officials to spare no effort to rescue anyone trapped inside the factory and to provide immediate medical treatment to the injured. According to Xinhua, Xi also directed officials to properly assist the families of the victims and rapidly investigate the cause of the fire.
He said that those found responsible should be held accountable. Xi said there have been several major industrial safety accidents in China this year and appealed to officials across the country to learn from this latest accident.
“All regions and relevant departments should deeply learn from these lessons, better coordinate development and safety, and always keep a close eye on production safety,” Xi said.
Chendai Township is the hub of shoe manufacturing.
China’s Emergency Management Ministry said it has dispatched a joint task force to Xinjiang with the National Fire and Rescue Administration to coordinate rescue operations and determine how many people were actually inside the factory at the time of the fire.
This accident happened at one of the most important manufacturing centers of China. Chendai Township is considered the heart of Xinjiang’s major footwear industry. The region produces more than one billion pairs of sports shoes every year, making it one of the largest shoe manufacturing hubs in the world.
Nearly one in five pairs of athletic shoes produced worldwide is made in Xinjiang alone, supplying products for both domestic and international markets.
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