28 Dead in Tragic Factory Fire Despite Desperate Rescue Efforts; Xi Jinping Orders Investigation

[Anchor]

A tragic fire at a shoe factory in Fujian Province, China, has left 28 people dead. While President Xi Jinping has repeatedly ordered officials to hold those responsible accountable and strengthen safety measures following such accidents, large-scale casualties continue to occur frequently in China.

Beijing correspondent Han Sang-woo reports.

[Reporter]

Flames and thick black smoke billow continuously as people who evacuated to the rooftop desperately wait for rescue.

Firefighters spray water onto the roof to buy time until a rescue helicopter arrives.

People stranded on the roof of an adjacent building are also rescued using a ladder.

[Wang / Resident of the adjacent building who helped rescue 3 people: I saw that the fire had already started on their side. They were already unable to get out. I told them to climb onto the outer wall and step on me to get down.]

The fire broke out at a shoe factory in Jinjiang, Fujian Province, in southeastern China, at approximately 12:04 p.m. local time yesterday (July 9).

Although the fire was brought under control after five hours, 28 people have been confirmed dead, and dozens more have been injured.

The factory was a five-story building, and the fire started on the first floor.

Because the building housed both workshops and shoe warehouses, the fire spread rapidly to shoe materials and finished products, causing toxic gas to fill the structure.

At the time of the fire, 239 people were working in the factory, and 213 managed to evacuate.

Jinjiang, where the factory is located, is home to over 7,000 shoe manufacturers, and it is reported that their working environments are largely similar, making them vulnerable to fire hazards.

President Xi Jinping issued instructions to "make every effort to handle the aftermath of the accident, quickly determine the cause, strictly hold those responsible accountable, and prepare thorough preventive measures."

In China, just two months ago in May, 82 people died in a coal mine gas explosion in Shanxi Province, and 26 people were killed in a firecracker factory explosion in Hunan Province.

Despite repeated directives for thorough investigations, accountability, and the implementation of safety measures, large-scale casualty accidents in China caused by safety negligence show little sign of decreasing.

(Video reporting: Choi Deok-hyun | Video editing: Jo Mu-hwan | Source: Douyin@金小鱼, Weibo@新京报, Douyin@江苏法治, @长安街知事, @人民日报)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.