Twenty-eight people were killed after a fire broke out at a footwear factory in east China's Fujian Province, Xinhua News Agency and China Media Group reported on Thursday night, citing local authorities.

The blaze started at the factory in the village of Jiangtou in Jinjiang City at 12:04 p.m., according to the fire and rescue department of Quanzhou.

China's Ministry of Emergency Management, together with the National Fire and Rescue Administration, has dispatched a joint work team to the city to guide rescue and response efforts.