Chinese authorities are investigating a devastating fire at a shoe factory in the southeastern province of Fujian that killed 28 people, once again highlighting ongoing concerns over workplace safety in the country.
State-run Xinhua News Agency reported Friday that search operations had ended and investigators were working to determine the cause of Thursday's fire, which destroyed the Fujian Huiteng shoe factory in Jinjiang, one of China's largest footwear manufacturing centres.
According to product listings on online sales and import platforms, Fujian Huiteng manufactures shoes for both Chinese and international brands.
Footage aired by local media showed several people trapped on the roof of the five-storey factory as thick black smoke billowed from the building. Firefighters struggled to control the blaze, with water from fire hoses initially failing to reach flames on the upper floors. Xinhua said the factory owner and managers have been arrested, while the company's bank accounts have been frozen.
Authorities said 237 factory workers and two visitors were inside the building when the fire broke out. Of the 213 people rescued, two later died in hospital. The remaining 26 people who had been reported missing were later confirmed dead, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
The tragedy is the latest in a series of deadly industrial accidents in China despite repeated government efforts to improve workplace safety. In May, an explosion at a fireworks factory in Changsha, Hunan province, killed at least 37 people. Last year, a fire at a refrigeration facility under construction in Xinyu, Jiangxi province, claimed 39 lives.
Chinese authorities have repeatedly instructed businesses to identify and remove workplace hazards. Official figures show that 18,261 people died in nearly 20,000 workplace accidents across China in 2025, a decline from the previous year.
Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered a swift investigation into the fire and called for those responsible to be held fully accountable.
Jinjiang, known as China's "shoe capital," is home to thousands of footwear factories and produces about one-fifth of the world's athletic shoes—more than one billion pairs each year—according to state media and industry reports.
The city's rise from small workshops to a major export manufacturing hub, often described by Xi as the "Jinjiang Experience," is widely seen as a model of China's industrial development.
CCTV reported that the fire started on the ground floor of the concrete building, where a workshop and warehouse were located. A local fire official said large quantities of shoe sole materials stored in stairwells blocked firefighters' access and hampered rescue efforts. The materials were highly flammable, contributing to the rapid spread of the fire.
The fire department deployed 183 firefighters and 35 vehicles to tackle the blaze, which was brought under control after about four hours. Xinhua later reported that more than 500 people took part in the rescue and search operation.