Tragic fire at a shoe factory in China, 28 dead; workers jumped from the roof to escape the flames

A massive fire at a shoe factory in the city of Jinjiang, in Fujian province in southeastern China, has claimed the lives of at least 28 people.

The flames broke out around midday at a multi-storey shoe factory in Jinjiang. According to state broadcaster CCTV, several people were trapped on the roof, while videos published from the scene show people hanging from the building and jumping to escape the fire.

State news agency Xinhua said the preliminary death toll had risen to 28, just hours after Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke of “heavy casualties”.

Dozens of firefighters and rescue teams took part in the operation, working to contain the flames and pull out people who had been trapped inside the building.

According to the authorities, around 200 firefighters and rescue personnel were deployed to manage the emergency. The firefighting operation lasted several hours, and the blaze was largely brought under control at around 05:40 in the morning, local time.

Footage from security cameras shows the entire factory engulfed in flames, while thick plumes of black smoke rose above the building. Several people can be seen stranded on the roof, surrounded by smoke.

Initial investigations indicate that the fire started on the factory’s ground floor. A local official said the materials used in shoe production, which are highly flammable, may have contributed to the rapid spread of the flames.

CCTV also reported that smoke and gases released by the burning materials caused severe eye irritation in the surrounding area.

Jinjiang, a city in the coastal province of Fujian, is considered one of the largest centres of the footwear and clothing industry in China and is also known as the “shoe capital”. According to official figures, companies in the city produced more than 1.2 billion pairs of shoes during 2024, or about 20% of global production.