Factory fire kills at least 28 in China's 'shoe capital'

Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - BEIJING — A fire at a footwear factory in south-eastern China on Thursday killed at least 28 people, state news agency Xinhua said, citing a preliminary toll.

Dozens of fire and rescue personnel were racing to extinguish the blaze that tore through the factory in Jinjiang city, authorities said.

Dramatic footage posted by Xinhua showed huge plumes of black smoke rising from a building as well as people who appeared to be trapped on the roof.

President Xi Jinping said the fire had caused "significant casualties", adding those responsible must be held "strictly accountable".

Jinjiang, in the province of Fujian, is often referred to as China's "shoe capital" as it reportedly manufactures 20% of the world's sports shoes.

The blaze erupted at the Huiteng Footwear factory at around noon local time (05:00 BST) on Thursday.

Hundreds of rescue workers were rushed to the scene, state broadcaster CCTV reports, and more than 200 people were evacuated.

It is unclear how many have been injured.

Initial reports suggest the fire may have started on the factory's ground floor where flammable materials were stored.

China started a campaign to prevent fires in high-rise buildings after a blaze ripped through several Hong Kong apartment buildings in November, killing 168 people.