A fire broke out on July 9, 2026, at the Huiteng Shoes Co. factory in Jiangtou village, Chendai town, Jinjiang, Fujian province, China, killing 28 people and injuring others [1, 2, 3]. The blaze started around 12:04 p.m. local time on the factory’s first floor, where the punching workshop and storage of flammable shoe-making materials were located [2, 3, 4]..

The fire spread rapidly due to highly flammable adhesives, glues, and stored goods inside the building, a five-story reinforced concrete structure with about 1,300 square meters per floor [5, 3, 4, 6]. At the time, there were 237 factory workers and 2 external personnel on site; 213 were evacuated and rescued [7, 3, 8, 9]. Most of the 28 fatalities occurred from people trapped on the rooftop and upper floors, including piece-rate workers who stayed late to earn more [1, 2, 9]. Six bodies were discovered in a water retention pool on the roof during rescue efforts [9].

Firefighting authorities from Quanzhou and Jinjiang dispatched 183 firefighters and 35 trucks; the fire was mostly extinguished by mid-afternoon between 3 p.m. and 5:40 p.m. [5, 3, 8, 6]. The factory’s safety record showed hazards: a July 7 inspection found cluttered corridors and a fan near electrical equipment [8, 6].

China’s President Xi Jinping called the fire a "significant casualty" event, ordering full search and rescue, swift investigation, and strict accountability for responsible parties [1, 10, 3]. Quanzhou Mayor Cai Zhansheng apologized to victims’ families and committed to a thorough probe [6]. The State Council Work Safety Commission has taken direct charge of the investigation and enforcement [11]. The factory owner and related individuals have been detained, with company accounts frozen [3, 6, 12].

Jinjiang is a major shoe production hub, producing about 20% of global footwear with over 3,000 shoemaking companies manufacturing more than 10 billion pairs annually [5, 3, 8]. The 2026 factory fire adds to a series of deadly industrial accidents in China this year, including coal mine and fireworks factory explosions earlier in the year [7, 4].

Rescue operations concluded on July 10, with the Fujian provincial government establishing an investigation team to determine causes and responsibilities [9, 6, 12]. On July 11, the State Council Work Safety Commission was officially assigned to oversee accident handling and ensure corrective measures [11].