At least 28 people were killed in a fire at the Huiting shoe factory in Jinjiang, Fujian Province, eastern China, according to state media on Thursday. The blaze broke out around noon local time (04:00 GMT).

China’s Ministry of Emergency Management said 183 firefighters and 35 vehicles were dispatched to the site. President Xi Jinping earlier urged “all possible efforts in search and rescue and support for affected families,” stressing the need to quickly determine the cause and hold those responsible accountable.

Live footage from state broadcaster CCTV showed fire trucks spraying water on a multi-story building with thick gray smoke billowing from shattered windows.

Authorities confirmed firefighting operations are ongoing, calling for maximum effort to locate trapped individuals and treat the injured. The ministry added that investigations must draw lessons and implement effective measures to prevent similar incidents.

Xinhua reported that some workers were trapped inside the factory and communication with them was lost.

China has recently launched fire safety awareness campaigns following deadly blazes. In November, a massive fire in Hong Kong residential towers killed 168 people. A month later, a fire in Guangdong Province left 12 dead.