28 killed in devastating fire at Chinese shoe factory

A devastating fire at a shoe factory in southeastern China's Fujian province has claimed the lives of 28 people, making it one of the country's deadliest industrial fires in recent years.

The blaze erupted on Thursday at the Huiteng Shoe Company factory in Jinjiang, a major manufacturing hub for sports footwear. According to the local fire department, the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

At the time of the incident, 237 factory workers and two visitors were inside the building. Rescue teams evacuated 213 people, while two victims were pronounced dead after being taken to hospital. Authorities later confirmed that 26 people who had been reported missing had died, bringing the total death toll to 28, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered an all-out search and rescue operation and called for a swift investigation into the cause of the fire. He also directed authorities to hold those responsible fully accountable.

State news agency Xinhua reported that the factory owner and other individuals responsible for the facility have been taken into custody. Authorities have also frozen the company's bank accounts as investigations continue.