The blaze broke out at a factory operated by Huiteng Shoe Company in the city, a major manufacturing hub often described as China's shoe capital. State broadcaster CCTV said firefighters brought the flames under control after about four hours.
President Xi Jinping ordered an all-out rescue effort, called for a rapid investigation and instructed authorities to hold those responsible accountable if safety failures are confirmed.
Emergency services deployed 183 firefighters and 35 vehicles to the site. Rescue operations were complicated by large quantities of shoe materials stacked in stairwells, which slowed access to the upper floors of the building.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, and officials have not confirmed whether additional people were injured. The disaster is among the deadliest industrial fires reported in China in recent years and is expected to prompt renewed scrutiny of workplace fire safety standards.
