The blaze broke out at the factory of Huiteng Shoes Co., Ltd. at 12:04 p.m., said the fire and rescue department of Quanzhou City.
Footage shared by state television CCTV showed firefighters dousing the facade and interior of a large, multi-storey 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.
After several hours, firefighters brought the blaze under control but not before the fire claimed the lives of 28 people. A preliminary investigation found that the fire originated on the ground floor of the factory building.
President Xi Jinping urged all-out search-and-rescue operations and said every effort must be made to determine the cause of the blaze and hold those responsible strictly accountable.
