A fire broke out at a shoe factory in southeastern China on Thursday, leaving people dead and injured as firefighters battled to extinguish it and rescue people trapped inside, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
The fire broke out around noon on Thursday (4pm Japan time) in Jinjiang city, Fujian province, with several people trapped on the roof, CCTV reported. It was not immediately clear how many people were killed or injured.
CCTV footage showed flames engulfing the high-rise factory and thick black smoke billowing into the sky. Smoke billowed around them and several people who appeared to be trapped by the fire could be seen on the roof.
Firefighting efforts were still ongoing, but the open flame was largely extinguished by around 5:40 p.m. (9:40 p.m. Japan time), local fire officials told CCTV. Fire and rescue teams sent 183 people and 35 vehicles to the scene.
Preliminary findings indicate the fire started on the first floor of the factory, local officials told CCTV. Shoe-making materials stored in the building are highly flammable and a fire could spread quickly, officials said.
According to CCTV, the materials and adhesives used at the scene had a very pungent odor and caused eye irritation. Jinjiang, a city on the coast of Fujian province, is a major footwear and apparel manufacturing hub and is often referred to as China’s “shoe capital.”
According to official data, thousands of companies in the city produced more than 1.2 billion pairs of shoes in 2024, accounting for 20% of global production.
