A fire broke out in a Chinese shoe factory Thursday. It’s not yet known how many have died or been injured. Image courtesy of UPI
July 9 (UPI) — A shoe factory caught fire Thursday morning in China, and it’s unknown how many people are dead or injured.
Chinese President Xi Jinping said there were likely “significant casualties” and ordered an investigation into the cause.
The fire broke out at noon local time Thursday in Janjiang,, a city in Fujian Province. By 5 p.m., it was mostly extinguished. Local fire teams sent 183 people and 35 vehicles to the scene, the Ministry of Emergency Management said in a statement.
Video on the state news showed flames coming from the top floor windows, The New York Times reported. At least a dozen people appeared to be stuck on the roof.
Xi told local authorities to do all they could to search for and rescue survivors, treat the injured, find the cause of the fire and “hold those responsible accountable,” according to China’s state broadcaster, CCTV.
In a statement, the emergency management officials said there were casualties but didn’t give details.
The factory was owned by Fujian Huiteng Shoes, which employed at least 155 people, The Times reported.