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Significant casualties in China shoe factory fire, Xi signals
NBC News • • world
Key Points:
- A fire broke out at a shoe factory in Jinjiang, Fujian province, China, trapping some people on the rooftop and causing an unknown number of casualties, with President Xi Jinping indicating significant loss of life.
- The blaze started around noon on Thursday and was fueled by highly flammable shoe-making materials, leading to rapid fire spread and pungent smoke causing eye irritation.
- Firefighters deployed 183 personnel and 35 vehicles to the scene, largely extinguishing open flames by early Friday morning, though rescue efforts continued.
- Jinjiang is a major global footwear manufacturing hub, producing over 1.2 billion pairs of shoes in 2024, representing 20% of the world's output.
- State media released footage showing the factory engulfed in flames and people trapped on the rooftop, highlighting the severity of the incident.
