Xi urges all-out rescue after fire accident

President Xi Jinping urged all-out search and rescue efforts, proper handling of the aftermath and consoling the families of the victims after a fire on Thursday resulted in heavy casualties at a footwear factory in Jinjiang, a county-level city in Quanzhou, East China's Fujian province.

Xi said in an instruction that the cause of the accident should be identified as soon as possible and those responsible for it held seriously accountable.

The fire broke out around noon at the factory located in Jiangtou village in Jinjiang's Chendai township, with many people feared trapped.

As of press time, 28 people were confirmed dead.

Noting that a number of major workplace safety accidents have occurred in China since the beginning of the year, Xi said that authorities across the country should draw important lessons from the factory blaze and better coordinate development and safety.

He emphasized the need to remain vigilant at all times regarding workplace safety, conduct in-depth checks and rectification of all types of risks and hidden dangers, and ensure that workplace safety measures are implemented in a firm and meticulous manner.

Efforts should be made to resolutely prevent major and serious accidents and effectively safeguard people's lives and property, Xi said.

Premier Li Qiang also made an instruction, calling for all-out efforts to organize search and rescue work, properly handle the aftermath of the fire, prevent secondary accidents, investigate the cause of the fire as soon as possible and hold those responsible accountable in accordance with the law.

Li said the Office of the Work Safety Committee of the State Council, China's Cabinet, should further guide and urge local authorities to strengthen bottom line thinking and worst-case scenario thinking, comprehensively investigate workplace safety risks and hidden dangers, and ensure that responsibilities and measures are fully implemented to prevent major and serious accidents.

Following the instructions, the Ministry of Emergency Management sent a working group to the site of the factory fire to provide guidance.

Fujian has also mobilized forces to spare no effort in treating the injured and handling on-site response. Local fire and rescue teams have deployed more than 500 personnel to fully engage in rescue operations.

People in charge of the footwear factory have been taken into custody and the company's accounts have been frozen.

A firefighter at the scene told China Central Television that while the exact cause of the fire remains under investigation, a preliminary assessment indicates that it started in a workshop on the first floor of the factory. Raw materials piled up on the stairs of the factory building slowed down firefighting efforts and hampered rescue operations, the firefighter said.