President Xi Jinping urged all-out search and rescue efforts, proper handling of the aftermath and consoling the families of the victims after a fire on Thursday resulted in heavy casualties at a footwear factory in Jinjiang, a county-level city in Quanzhou, East China's Fujian province.

本周四，我国华东福建省泉州市下辖县级市晋江市一家制鞋厂发生火灾，造成重大人员伤亡。中共中央总书记、国家主席习近平作出重要指示，要求全力开展人员搜救、妥善做好善后处置工作，并安抚遇难者家属。

Xi said in an instruction that the cause of the accident should be identified as soon as possible and those responsible for it held seriously accountable.

习近平在指示中指出，要尽快查明事故原因，对相关责任人严肃追责问责。

The fire broke out around noon at the factory located in Jiangtou village in Jinjiang's Chendai township, with many people feared trapped. As of press time, at least 28 people were confirmed dead.

火灾于当日中午时分发生在晋江市陈埭镇江头村这家制鞋厂，事发时有多人被困。截至发稿，事故已确认造成至少28人遇难。

Noting that a number of major workplace safety accidents have occurred in China since the beginning of the year, Xi said that authorities across the country should draw important lessons from the factory blaze and better coordinate development and safety.

习近平强调，今年以来国内已发生多起重大生产安全事故，各地各部门要深刻汲取此次厂房火灾事故的惨痛教训，更好统筹发展和安全。

He emphasized the need to remain vigilant at all times regarding workplace safety, conduct in-depth checks and rectification of all types of risks and hidden dangers, and ensure that workplace safety measures are implemented in a firm and meticulous manner.

他着重指出，安全生产须臾不可放松，必须深入排查整治各类安全风险隐患，以严实举措把安全生产各项要求落到实处。

Efforts should be made to resolutely prevent major and serious accidents and effectively safeguard people's lives and property, Xi said.

习近平要求，坚决防范遏制重特大安全事故，切实保障人民群众生命财产安全。

Premier Li Qiang also made an instruction, calling for all-out efforts to organize search and rescue work, properly handle the aftermath of the fire, prevent secondary accidents, investigate the cause of the fire as soon as possible and hold those responsible accountable in accordance with the law.

国务院总理李强同步作出批示，要求全力以赴组织搜救，妥善处置火灾善后工作，严防次生事故发生，尽快查清起火缘由，依法追究相关人员责任。

Li said the Office of the Work Safety Committee of the State Council, China's Cabinet, should further guide and urge local authorities to strengthen bottom line thinking and worst-case scenario thinking, comprehensively investigate workplace safety risks and hidden dangers, and ensure that responsibilities and measures are fully implemented to prevent major and serious accidents.

李强提出，国务院安委会办公室要进一步指导督促各地牢固树立底线思维、极限思维，全面排查整治生产安全风险隐患，压紧压实各方责任、落细落实防控举措，严防重特大事故发生。

Following the instructions, the Ministry of Emergency Management sent a working group to the site of the factory fire to provide guidance. Fujian has also mobilized forces to spare no effort in treating the injured and handling on-site response. Local fire and rescue teams have deployed more than 500 personnel.

遵照相关指示要求，应急管理部已派出工作组赶赴火灾现场指导处置。福建省同步调集各方力量，全力救治伤员、开展现场救援，当地消防救援队伍共投入500余名救援人员。

People in charge of the footwear factory have been taken into custody and the company's accounts frozen.

涉事制鞋厂相关负责人已被警方控制，企业账户已依法冻结。

A firefighter at the scene told China Central Television that while the exact cause of the fire remains under investigation, a preliminary assessment indicates that it started in a workshop on the first floor of the factory.

现场一名消防员向中央电视台记者介绍，火灾具体起火原因仍在调查中，初步研判起火点位于厂房一楼车间。

Raw materials piled up on the stairs of the factory slowed down firefighting efforts and hampered rescue operations, the firefighter said.

该消防员表示，厂房楼梯间堆放大量生产原料，阻碍灭火推进，大幅增加救援难度。

casualty /ˈkæʒuəlti/伤亡人员；遇难者

rectification /ˌrektɪfɪˈkeɪʃn/整改，整治，纠正

aftermath /ˈɑːftəmæθ/（事故、灾难的）善后，余波

accountability /əˌkaʊntəˈbɪləti/追责，问责；负有责任

secondary /ˈsekəndri/次生的，继发的

secondary accidents次生事故

rectify /ˈrektɪfaɪ/整改，排查整治，纠正