On July 9, a fire at Huiteng Shoes in Jinjiang, Fujian killed 28 and injured others. Flammable materials and blocked hallways hampered rescue; 213 evacuated. Owner detained; investigation ongoing.
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Source: OT-Team(G), 每日经济新闻, 央视新闻, 中国新闻周刊, 新京报
At approximately 12:04 p.m. on July 9, a major fire broke out at Huiteng Shoes Co., Ltd. in Jinjiang, Quanzhou, Fujian Province, according to China Central Television (CCTV). At the time of the incident, 237 employees and 2 visitors were on the premises.
A total of 213 people were evacuated and rescued from the scene. Two were transported to the hospital but succumbed to their injuries, while 26 others who had been listed as missing have now been confirmed dead.
The five-story reinforced concrete factory, with each floor spanning 1,300 square meters, housed various operations: a punch press workshop and warehouse on the first floor; semi-finished and finished shoe warehouses on the second; an assembly line on the third; a sewing workshop on the fourth; and an assembly line warehouse on the fifth. The fire originated in the first-floor punch press workshop, where flammable shoe materials fueled rapid spread. Fire crews and local authorities arrived on-site by around 12:10 p.m. to coordinate rescue operations.
The company’s owner and other responsible individuals have been taken into custody, and the company’s accounts have been frozen.
Reporters learned that when firefighters arrived, the entire factory building was already fully engulfed, significantly hampering rescue efforts. The visible flames were extinguished by around 4:00 p.m. that afternoon, though fire trucks continued hosing down the structure and ambulances remained on standby for search-and-rescue teams. Additional fire crews stayed on-site to prevent re-ignition.
Authorities have mobilized multiple resources to treat the injured, while investigations into the cause of the fire and the full accounting of casualties remain ongoing.
Firefighters earlier noted that large amounts of clutter stacked in the hallways had seriously hindered firefighting speed and obstructed rescue operations.
Witness Accounts and Additional Details
A witness told reporters that some trapped individuals on the rooftop attempted to escape via ladders. In video footage captured by the witness, people could be seen removing their outer clothing while waiting for help, enveloped in thick smoke as firefighters sprayed water from the ground. In one harrowing scene, a shirtless man was seen hanging from the roof edge before falling seconds later.
Mr. Chen, a nearby shopkeeper whose store is about 100 meters from the factory, said an employee of the shoe factory who had been eating at his shop mentioned that the fire likely started on the first floor and quickly spread upward due to the large quantity of flammable shoe materials in the workshop. Chen noted that the area is part of an older shoe-manufacturing industrial zone in Jinjiang.
Founded in 2015, Fujian Huiteng Shoes Co., Ltd. operates in the leather, fur, feather, and footwear manufacturing sectors, with a registered capital of 10 million yuan and paid-in capital of 6 million yuan.
Another witness told China Newsweek that most of the factory workers were migrant laborers from other regions, many in their middle age.
Jinjiang’s Chendai Town, where the fire occurred, is known as "China's Shoe Capital," housing over 7,000 shoe companies and supporting enterprises and producing more than one billion pairs of sports shoes annually.
In August 2025, local authorities in Chendai conducted a fire prevention and hazardous chemicals inspection in factory warehouses, during which one shoe factory was ordered to cease operations on a specific floor after its second emergency exit was found completely blocked by goods. In June of this year, the town launched a summer social safety campaign that included inspections of fire-control equipment and evacuation routes in industrial buildings.
Dramatic Rescues by Local Bystander
A nearby shopkeeper said she saw people trapped on the rooftop while firefighters directed water hoses toward that corner. A rescue helicopter circled the scene but could not find a place to land.
Local resident Mr. Wang, a climbing enthusiast who works in nightscape lighting, recounted to reporters how he and a friend helped rescue three people. While working nearby, they noticed not only the main factory building but also the dormitory annex on fire, with ground-floor windows shattered and people calling for help from upstairs windows.
Wang and his friend climbed up without equipment, aided by a stainless steel anti-theft grate brought by other residents. On the third floor, they rescued a couple trapped in a smoke-filled room. "The anti-theft grate had gaps, and I used my head to force one open just wide enough for them to squeeze through," Wang said. "They held onto me and slid down to a foothold, and nearby residents helped them down." The man suffered a minor arm injury from the grate but both were otherwise unharmed.
After that rescue, Wang retrieved his climbing gear from his car. With help from locals, they set up ladders to reach a neighboring rooftop, then crossed over to the dormitory roof. Using ropes, Wang rappelled down to a fifth-floor window where a woman was trapped. He guided her with ropes to the adjacent building and safely down to the ground. "She was in tears when she reached the ground, and neighbors comforted her," he said.
After rescuing the three, Wang checked the dormitory and saw no other people and heard no further cries for help, so he left. However, he later learned through videos on his phone that many others had been trapped on the opposite side of the factory roof, a realization that deeply affected him.
Current Status
Emergency response personnel remain on-site, and investigations into the cause of the fire and the full scope of casualties are ongoing. Authorities continue to prioritize medical care for the injured while maintaining fire watch to prevent any resurgence of flames.
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