Fire at a shoe factory in China's Fujian province kills 28 workers

A fire at the Huiteng shoe factory in Jinjiang, China, killed 28 workers on July 9, 2026. Highly flammable shoe materials stored in stairwells accelerated the blaze and blocked firefighters. In response, President Xi Jinping demanded a swift investigation and strict accountability. Authorities have detained the factory's owner and managers, freezing the company's accounts. The disaster underscores persistent workplace safety challenges in China, where over 18,000 people died in industrial accidents in 2025.

Jinjiang shoe factory fire

• ▪A fire at the Huiteng shoe factory in Jinjiang, Fujian Province, China, on July 9, 2026, killed 28 people
• ▪There were 237 factory workers and two visitors inside the Huiteng shoe factory building when the fire broke out

Flammable shoe materials storage

• ▪Highly flammable shoe sole materials piled up in stairwells helped the fire spread quickly and hindered firefighters from reaching the flames
• ▪The fire started on the first level of a five-floor concrete building, which housed a workshop and a warehouse

Emergency rescue operations

• ▪More than 500 personnel joined the rescue and search operation at the Huiteng shoe factory
• ▪The local fire department dispatched 183 personnel and 35 vehicles to the factory, extinguishing the open flames after approximately four hours

Factory owner custody

• ▪Fujian Huiteng manufactures shoes for both Chinese and foreign brands
• ▪Authorities took the owner and managers of the Huiteng shoe factory into custody and froze the company's bank accounts

Presidential investigation order

• ▪Chinese President Xi Jinping demanded an all-out search and rescue effort, a swift investigation, and strict accountability for those responsible
• ▪President Xi Jinping stated that Chinese officials must draw profound lessons from several major industrial safety accidents in China in 2026

China workplace safety record

• ▪A fireworks plant explosion in Changsha in May 2026 killed at least 37 people, and a 2024 refrigeration facility fire in Xinyu killed 39 people
• ▪Official data show that 18,261 people died in nearly 20,000 workplace accidents across China in 2025