China factory fire kills at least 28 people

A fire that tore through a shoe factory in eastern China on Thursday (Jul 9) killed at least 28 people, state media said, with more than 500 fire and rescue personnel racing against time to extinguish the blaze.



Hours after the fire broke out at the Huiteng Shoes factory around noon, authorities feared people were still trapped inside the building in Jinjiang city, Fujian province.



President Xi Jinping said the fire resulted in "heavy human losses", with state news agency Xinhua later citing a preliminary toll of 28 dead.



Footage shared by state television CCTV showed firefighters dousing the facade and interior of a large, multi-storey white building with fire hoses, as thick black smoke billowed out of broken windows.



People could be seen taking refuge near the windows and on the roof of the building, while the blaze raged in the lower floors.



CCTV said 500 firefighters and other emergency personnel were on the scene.



The company owner and several others have been detained, Xinhua reported. Authorities have also frozen the company's accounts.