Fire at a shoe factory kills 28 in one of China’s deadliest blazes in recent years

BEIJING (AP) — A fire broke out at a shoe factory in the eastern Chinese province of Fujian on Thursday, killing 28 people, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping demanded “an all-out search and rescue effort,” urging a swift investigation of the incident and “strictly hold those responsible accountable.”

The blaze started at a factory in Huiteng shoe company in the city of Jinjiang, the city’s fire department said in a statement. The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

There were 237 factory workers and two visitors in the building when the fire broke out. Authorities evacuated or rescued 213 people. Of the 28 people who died, two were pronounced dead after being taken to a hospital, according to state broadcaster CCTV.