Xi urges all-out rescue efforts after shoe factory fire in east China

BEIJING, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged full efforts in search-and-rescue operations after a fire at a shoe factory caused major casualties Thursday in Jinjiang City, east China's Fujian Province. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, said in an instruction that efforts must be made to identify the cause of the accident and hold those responsible strictly accountable. Noting that multiple major workplace safety accidents have occurred in the country since the beginning of this year, Xi required all regions and relevant departments to draw profound lessons from these accidents, better coordinate development and security, and remain constantly vigilant about workplace safety. Efforts must be made to thoroughly identify and root out all types of safety risks and hidden hazards, ensure that workplace safety measures are implemented meticulously, resolutely prevent major and serious accidents, and effectively safeguard people's lives and property. Premier Li Qiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, urged the Office of the Work Safety Commission under China's State Council to guide local authorities to conduct thorough inspections on workplace safety risks and hazards and take resolute steps to prevent major and serious accidents. By press time, confirmed deaths from the fire have reached 28. The Ministry of Emergency Management has dispatched a work team to the site to guide rescue efforts, while the provincial authorities of Fujian have mobilized resources to treat the injured and carry out on-site response efforts.