Factory fire kills at least 28 in China's 'shoe capital

Factory fire kills at least 28 in China's 'shoe capital'

A fire at a footwear manufacturing plant in southeastern China killed at least 28 people on Thursday, July 9, 2026. The blaze tore through a multi-storey building in the city of Jinjiang, located in Fujian province, trapping workers on the rooftop as thick black smoke billowed into the sky.

The fire erupted at around noon local time at the Huiteng Footwear factory. According to the state-run Xinhua news agency, there were 237 factory workers and two visitors in the building when the fire started. Rescue operations pulled 213 people from the site; two of those individuals died after being taken to a hospital for treatment. An additional 26 people, who were initially reported missing, were later confirmed dead.

President Xi Jinping issued instructions for an all-out search and rescue effort, stating that the fire had caused major casualties and heavy human losses. He demanded a swift investigation to identify the cause of the blaze and asserted that those responsible must be held strictly accountable.

The facility was a five-floor concrete-structured building. Preliminary findings from a local official told CCTV that the fire began on the ground floor, where a warehouse and workshop were located. The rapid spread of the flames was fueled by highly flammable shoe components and adhesives stored in the building. CCTV reported that these materials produced a pungent smell at the scene that caused eye irritation.

Firefighting efforts were significantly hindered by internal obstructions. Du Zhenzhou, the Jinjiang fire chief, told state media that stairwells and exits were blocked with piled-up shoe materials, making it difficult for crews to reach the upper levels. The fire department dispatched 183 personnel and 35 vehicles to the scene. Xinhua later reported that more than 500 people eventually joined the rescue and search operation. Open flames were largely extinguished by approximately 4 p.m. Local time, though fire engines continued to spray water into the evening.

Jinjiang is widely known as China's shoe capital and serves as a major hub for clothing and footwear manufacturing. Official data shows that the city's shoe sector manufactured over 1.2 billion pairs of shoes in 2024, representing 20% of global sports shoe output.

Authorities have already taken punitive and legal action against the company. Xinhua reported that the factory owner and other personnel in charge have been taken into custody, and the firm's bank accounts have been frozen.

The tragedy follows a series of industrial and residential disasters in China. President Xi noted that there had been several major industrial safety accidents this year. Recent incidents include:

• A fireworks plant explosion in Changsha, Hunan province, in May, which killed at least 37 people.
• A fire at a refrigeration facility under construction in Xinyu, Jiangxi province, in 2024, which killed 39 people.
• A residential building fire in Guangdong province in December that killed 12 people.
• A November blaze in Hong Kong apartment buildings that killed 168 people, prompting a national campaign to prevent fires in high-rise buildings.

Workplace safety remains a persistent challenge. Official data indicates that 18,261 people died in nearly 20,000 workplace accidents across China in 2025, a figure that was lower than the previous year. President Xi urged all regions and departments to implement rigorous and effective safety measures and to draw profound lessons from these incidents.