Fire in shoe factory in Fujian kills 28 people

A fire broke out at a shoe factory in the southeastern Chinese province of Fujian

on Thursday, killing 28 people, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

President Xi Jinping has demanded an all-out search and rescue effort,

urging a swift investigation of the incident

and strictly hold those responsible accountable.

The blaze started in a factory at Huiteng shoe company in the city of Jinjiang,

a major manufacturing hub for sports shoes.

There were 237 factory workers and two visitors in the building

when the fire broke out.

Authorities pulled out 213 people.

Two of them were pronounced dead

after being taken to hospital.

Another 26 missing were later confirmed dead,

according to state broadcaster CCTV.

The fire started on the first level of a five-story concrete

structured building, where a workshop and a warehouse were located.

The burning materials included highly-flammable shoe

components, which spread the fire quickly, according to reports.