At least 28 people were killed in a fire at a shoe factory in eastern China on Thursday.

China's Ministry of Emergency Management announced that some 200 fire and rescue workers had been dispatched to a shoe factory in Fujian province on Thursday.

President Xi Jinping has called for "an all-out search and rescue effort" and a swift investigation in order to "strictly hold those responsible accountable."

Dozens of fire trucks were seen dumping water on the burnt multi-story factory as smoke continued to billow from the site.

"Simultaneously, the cause of the fire must be investigated, lessons learned, and effective measures taken to prevent similar accidents from recurring," the ministry said in a statement.

Spate of deadly fires

Beijing launched a renewed campaign to bring high-rise buildings and factories in line with fire codes in November after 168 people were killed in Hong Kong where several tower blocks went up in flames.

A month later, a residential building in Guangdong province killed 12 people.

Edited by: Zac Crellin