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

[Anchor]

A tragic fire at a shoe factory in Fujian Province, China, has left 28 people dead. Despite President Xi Jinping repeatedly ordering the punishment of those responsible and the strengthening of safety measures following every incident, large-scale casualties continue to occur in China.

Beijing correspondent Han Sang-woo reports.

[Reporter]

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

Firefighters pour 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 rescued 3 people: I saw the fire already starting on their side. They couldn't 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 were injured.

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

Because the entire building contained a mix of workshops and shoe warehouses, the fire spread rapidly to shoe materials and finished products, causing toxic gas to fill the structure.

At the time, 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 manufacturing companies, and it is known that their working environments are largely similar, making them vulnerable to fire.

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

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.

While authorities order thorough investigations, punishment, and the development of countermeasures each time, large-scale casualty accidents in China caused by safety negligence show little sign of decreasing.

(Reported by Choi Deok-hyun | Video by Jo Mu-hwan | Sources: 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.