FUZHOU, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Search efforts largely concluded on Friday following a fatal fire that killed 28 people a day earlier at a shoe factory in the city of Jinjiang, east China's Fujian Province, local authorities said.

A fire truck works after a fire broke out at a shoe factory in Jiangtou Village, Chendai Township of Jinjiang City, southeast China's Fujian Province, on July 9, 2026. Twenty-eight people have been killed following a fire at a shoe factory in Jinjiang City on Thursday, local authorities said. (Xinhua/Zhou Yi)

The fire broke out at the factory of Huiteng Shoes Co., Ltd. in Jiangtou Village, Chendai Township, at noon on Thursday. At the time when the fire started, 237 factory workers and two external delivery personnel were at the factory building.

A total of 213 people were evacuated, but two of them died despite being treated in hospital. Twenty-six previously missing persons were confirmed dead, according to local authorities.