A fire at a shoe factory in eastern China’s Fujian province has killed 28 people, while 213 others were rescued after firefighters battled the blaze for several hours.
The fire broke out at a factory owned by Huiteng Shoe Company in Jinjiang City, according to a statement issued by the city’s fire department.
Emergency responders said on Thursday that 237 factory workers and two visitors were inside the building when the blaze erupted. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined.
State broadcaster CCTV reported that 26 people died at the scene, while two others later died in hospital, bringing the death toll to 28.
Chinese President Xi Jinping described the incident as a tragedy involving “heavy human losses” and called for an all-out search and rescue effort.
He also directed authorities to swiftly determine the cause of the fire and ensure that those found responsible are held accountable.
“The cause of the accident should be identified as soon as possible and… those responsible must be strictly held accountable,” Xi said, according to state news agency Xinhua.