China's President Xi Jinping mourns 'heavy losses' in shoe factory blaze

A deadly fire at a shoe factory in eastern China on Thursday resulted in "heavy human losses", President Xi Jinping said, as dozens of fire and rescue personnel raced to extinguish the blaze.

The fire broke out at the Huiteng Shoes factory in Jinjiang city, Fujian province, around noon (0400 GMT), the Ministry of Emergency Management said in a statement.

With people still trapped inside hours after the blaze began, fire and rescue teams dispatched 183 people and 35 vehicles to the scene, the ministry added.


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The fire had caused casualties, it said, without giving details of how many people had been injured or killed.

Xi, in remarks carried by state news agency Xinhua, said there were "heavy human losses", without providing a specific toll.

Live footage aired by state broadcaster CCTV showed fire engines dousing a charred multi-story building with water, as thick grey smoke billowed from broken windows.

"No effort must be spared in search and rescue operations" and in supporting affected families, Xi said according to Xinhua.

"The cause of the accident should be identified as soon as possible and... those responsible must be strictly held accountable," he added.

The blaze was being extinguished, the emergency management ministry said, demanding "all-out" efforts to put it out, search for trapped survivors and treat the injured.

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Some people were trapped and "out of contact", Xinhua said.

China launched a campaign against fire hazards in high-rise buildings in November, after a huge blaze engulfed several tower blocks in Hong Kong, killing 168 people.

A month later, a fire at a residential building in southern China's Guangdong province killed 12 people.