Major fire rips through shoe factory in China, at least 28 dead; harrowing videos emerge

A devastating fire at a shoe factory in eastern China claimed the lives of at least 28 people on Thursday, according to local authorities cited by PTI. The incident took place in Jinjiang City, located in Quanzhou, Fujian Province. The blaze broke out at around midday and quickly spread through the factory building. Videos shared online showed engulfing the factory before reaching nearby structures.

China's Ministry of Emergency Management dispatched a joint working team to the scene to guide the rescue and help with the emergency response, it said. Firefighters and rescue teams were deployed to search for victims and to bring the situation under control.

The lower floors of the building remained alight and people were seen trying to get to safety near the windows and on the rooftop.

China's President Xi Jinping has urged officials to spare no effort in rescuing the victims and helping the affected. He also called for a thorough investigation into the cause of the fire and told authorities to hold those responsible accountable, the state-run Xinhua news agency said.

Officials are still investigating the incident and the cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

At least five people were killed and one injured in a fire at a residential building in central China earlier on July 6, official reports said. The incident took place in Zhengzhou, the capital city of Henan Province. Emergency crews scrambled to the location and later brought the blaze under control.

The injured person was rushed to hospital and was in stable condition after emergency treatment, the state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.

An investigation has been launched to establish what caused the fire. No other details about the victims or the circumstances of the incident have been released. Officials are investigating the cause of the deadly fire as they continue their inquiry.

An explosion at a fireworks factory in central China in May killed 37 people in one of the country’s deadliest industrial accidents in years.