Chris Pugh

cleveland.com

(TNS)

A massive fire tore through a shoe factory in southeastern China on Thursday, killing at least 28 people in one of the country’s deadliest industrial disasters in recent years, according to Chinese state media. The blaze erupted at a factory in Jinjiang, a manufacturing center in Fujian province known for its footwear industry, the Associated Press reported.

Officials said 239 people were inside the five-story building when the fire began around midday. Rescue crews evacuated 213 workers, while several others were initially listed as missing, Reuters reported. Authorities later confirmed that at least 28 people had died, including victims who succumbed to injuries after being taken to hospitals.

Investigators believe the fire started on the building’s ground floor before rapidly spreading through areas containing adhesives, rubber, leather and other highly combustible materials used in shoe manufacturing. Fire officials also said stored materials blocked stairwells and exits, making rescue operations significantly more difficult.

Hundreds of firefighters, emergency responders and medical personnel worked for hours to extinguish the blaze and search the smoke-filled structure. Authorities said the fire was brought under control later in the afternoon, but crews continued searching the building for victims and securing the site.

Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered a full investigation into the cause of the disaster and called for accountability if safety violations are discovered. State media reported that the factory owner and several company officials have been detained while investigators examine what led to the deadly fire.

The tragedy has renewed attention on workplace safety in China, where industrial accidents continue to occur despite years of government efforts to strengthen regulations and enforcement. Jinjiang is one of the world’s largest footwear manufacturing centers, producing billions of dollars’ worth of shoes annually for domestic and international brands.

©2026 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit cleveland.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Czech Republic Shoe Factory Destroyed on Same Day

dpa

(TNS)

Prague — An historic high-rise factory warehouse has caught fire in the Czech city of Zlín, known for its architectural heritage.

Part of the 10-storey building has collapsed, the local fire service said on Thursday. 

No injuries were reported as the building was unoccupied, but pictures showed thick plumes of black smoke emerging from the building. 

The industrial town of Zlín is situated around 250 kilometres south-east of Prague.

The fire reportedly broke out on the ninth floor in the warehouse of a Czech sports shoe brand and spread rapidly. The cause of the blaze has not yet been determined.

The high-rise factory building number 34 was constructed between 1949 and 1955.

It served as the central warehouse for the Svit shoe factory, the nationalized company that took over the famous Bata works in Czechoslovakia under the socialist regime.

The fire service declared the highest alert level, with around 300 firefighters on site to tackle the major blaze.

A helicopter provided aerial support for the fire-fighting efforts.

A wide area around the site has been cordoned off, while the city council urged residents to keep their windows and doors closed.

Around 75,000 pairs of shoes are said to have been destroyed in the blaze.

The damage to the affected sports footwear brand, Vasky, is estimated as at least 150 million Czech koruna ($7 million), the CTK news agency said.

©2026 dpa GmbH. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.