At least 28 people were killed when a fire swept through a shoe factory in the eastern Chinese city of Jinjiang on Thursday, according to state media. The blaze broke out around noon at the Huiteng Shoes factory in Fujian province, trapping workers on upper floors as thick black smoke billowed from the building, footage broadcast by state television showed.

President Xi Jinping described the incident as causing “heavy human losses” and ordered “all-out” search and rescue efforts, the official Xinhua news agency reported. He also demanded a swift investigation and that those responsible be held strictly accountable. Local fire chief Du Zhenzhou told state media that stairwells and exits were blocked with shoe materials, and that adhesives and raw materials stored on the ground floor fuelled the flames, hampering firefighters’ access to upper levels. More than 180 firefighters and 35 vehicles were deployed, and authorities said some people remained trapped and out of contact hours after the fire started.

The preliminary death toll of 28 was released by Xinhua late Thursday. Chinese media later reported that several individuals linked to the factory’s owners had been detained and the company’s bank account frozen, though the cause of the fire remains under investigation. The disaster is the latest in a series of deadly industrial accidents in China this year. In May, a blast at a fireworks factory in Hunan province killed 37 people, and a high-rise fire in Hong Kong in November claimed 168 lives, prompting a national campaign against fire hazards in tall buildings. Xi, in remarks after the Jinjiang blaze, said all regions must “draw profound lessons” and implement rigorous safety measures.

Jinjiang, often called China’s shoe capital, is home to thousands of footwear factories and produces an estimated 20 per cent of the world’s sports shoes. Rescue operations were continuing into the evening, and authorities said the fire had been brought under control.