Jinjiang Shoe Factory Fire Kills 28 in China's Fujian Province

A fire at the Huiteng Footwear factory in Jinjiang, Fujian province, China, killed at least 28 people on July 9, 2026. The blaze broke out at approximately noon local time at the facility on Kaituo Road East in the village of Jiangtou, Chendai township.

Approximately 239 to 240 people were present at the factory when the fire started. Rescue teams evacuated 213 workers, but two of those evacuees later died in hospital. Twenty-six others initially reported missing were confirmed dead, bringing the total death toll to 28.

The fire started on the ground floor of the factory, where flammable shoe-making materials and adhesives were stored. Thick black smoke poured from the burning building as the fire spread through the lower floors.

Authorities deployed more than 500 firefighters and rescue personnel to the scene, along with 35 fire engines. The fire was brought under control and open flames were largely extinguished by approximately 4 p.m., though firefighting and rescue efforts continued into the evening.

Chinese President Xi Jinping characterized the fire as causing major casualties and called for an all-out rescue effort. He demanded that those responsible be held strictly accountable.

Authorities detained the factory owner and other relevant company personnel, and froze the company's bank accounts following the incident.

Jinjiang, located in Fujian province, is known as China's 'shoe capital' and manufactures approximately 20% of the world's athletic shoes. The Huiteng factory was one of numerous footwear production facilities in the region.

China launched a campaign against fire hazards in high-rise buildings in November 2025 following a blaze in Hong Kong that killed 168 people. The Jinjiang factory fire occurred several months after this national safety initiative began.

President Xi stated the fire came after a number of deadly accidents at production facilities in China in recent months and called on officials to draw profound lessons from major industrial safety accidents. In May 2026 alone, China experienced several major incidents including a coal mine blast in Shanxi that killed approximately 82 people—the deadliest since 2009—a mine collapse in Yunnan killing five, and a fireworks factory blast in Changsha killing at least 37.

Center-left outlets reported that workers were seen on the rooftop and near windows, apparently trapped as the fire raged on the lower floors. One outlet noted that large amounts of items had been piled up in the factory's stairwells, hampering rescue and firefighting efforts.

A center-right outlet reported that approximately one month after the November fire safety campaign launch, a fire at a residential building in Guangdong province killed 12 people, indicating that deadly fires continued despite the national initiative.

One center-right outlet noted that China's workplace safety record has generally improved in recent years, even as deadly accidents continue to occur, providing broader context for the ongoing industrial safety challenges.