الوسم: firefighting

A firefighter climbs onto a fire truck as he and his colleagues work to put out a blaze at a petrochemical plant in Zhangzhou, Fujian Province. — Reuters/File

– Rescuers are concerned that more workers may still be trapped inside the building.
– Blocked stairwells are hindering firefighters’ efforts to reach upper floors.
– Authorities have dispatched 183 personnel and 35 rescue vehicles.

A fire swept through a shoe manufacturing factory in eastern China on Thursday, resulting in the deaths of at least 28 people, according to state media reports. Over 500 firefighters and rescue workers are rushing to extinguish the flames.

Several hours after the fire ignited at the Huiteng Shoes factory around noon (0400 GMT), officials feared there could still be individuals trapped inside the building located in Jinjiang city, Fujian Province.

President Xi Jinping stated that the fire caused “significant human losses,” with initial reports from the state news agency Xinhua confirming a death toll of 28.

Footage broadcast by CCTV showed firefighters spraying water on the exterior and interior of a large, multi-story white building as thick black smoke billowed from broken windows. People were seen seeking refuge near the windows and on the roof, while the lower floors continued to burn.

CCTV reported that approximately 500 firefighters and emergency personnel were present at the scene.

Xi emphasized that the cause of the incident should be identified swiftly, and those responsible must be held accountable. The company owner and several others have been detained, and the authorities have frozen the company’s bank accounts.

Jinjiang is one of China’s key hubs for shoe production and a global center for athletic footwear manufacturing, according to the state-controlled Global Times.

Fire chief Du Zhenzhou explained that access to the upper floors was difficult because stairwells and exits were blocked with shoe materials. He added that adhesives and other raw materials used in shoe manufacturing fueled the fire.

The emergency management ministry reported that efforts to extinguish the fire were ongoing, with a focus on rescuing trapped individuals and treating the injured. Some persons remained unaccounted for and out of contact.

At the time of the fire, 237 workers and two delivery personnel were present at the factory. While 213 individuals had been evacuated, the precise relationship between these numbers and the confirmed death toll remains unclear.

Xi highlighted that China has experienced several major industrial safety incidents this year. He urged all regions and relevant agencies to learn from these tragedies and implement stricter safety measures.

In response to previous industrial fires, China launched a safety campaign in November targeting high-rise buildings, following a catastrophic blaze in Hong Kong that resulted in 168 deaths. A month later, a fire at a residential building in Guangdong province claimed 12 lives. In May, an explosion at a fireworks factory in central China killed 37 people, marking one of the deadliest industrial accidents in recent years.