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Factory Owner Arrested After Fire Kills 28 in 'Shoe Capital'
Newser • • world
Key Points:
- A fire at the Huiteng shoe factory in Jinjiang, Fujian province, China, killed 28 people, with 213 individuals rescued from the building during the incident.
- The fire began on the first floor of the five-story building, where flammable shoe components fueled the rapid spread, and sole material piled in stairwells hindered firefighters' access.
- Chinese President Xi Jinping called for an extensive search and rescue operation, a swift investigation, and accountability for those responsible; the factory owner and others have been detained, and company accounts frozen.
- Jinjiang, known as China's "shoe capital," produces about 20% of the world's sports shoes, highlighting the economic impact of the tragedy.
- This incident adds to a series of recent workplace safety disasters in China, including deadly explosions and fires, despite government efforts to improve work safety standards nationwide.
