“Huge human losses” in a shoe factory fire in China

At least 28 people were killed as a result of a fire that broke out in a shoe factory in eastern China, according to a preliminary toll reported by the official Xinhua Agency on Thursday, after Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke of “huge human losses.”

The fire broke out at the Huiting Shoe Factory in Jinjiang City, Fujian Province, around 12 noon (04:00 GMT), causing human casualties, according to China Central Television.

Fire and rescue teams sent 183 personnel and 35 vehicles to the fire site to control it, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management.