BEIJING – A fire at a shoe factory in south-eastern China left casualties on July 9, state broadcaster CCTV reported, as firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze and rescue people trapped inside.

The fire broke out at around 12pm on July 9 in the city of Jinjiang in Fujian province, with some people trapped on the rooftop, CCTV said.

It was not immediately clear how many have been killed or injured.

The firefighting effort was still underway, although open flames had largely been extinguished by about 5.40pm, a local firefighting official told CCTV.

Fire and rescue teams dispatched 183 people and 35 vehicles to the site.

Flames could be seen raging through the multi-storey factory building with thick black smoke rising, videos released by CCTV showed.

Multiple people, likely trapped by the fire, could be seen on the rooftop as smoke billowed around them.

Preliminary findings indicate the fire started on the ground floor of the factory, a local official told CCTV. REUTERS