A fire at a shoe factory in southeastern China on Thursday killed 28 people, according to the state broadcaster, CCTV, citing the authorities.

The fire broke out at noon local time at the factory, which is in Jinjiang, a city in the Chinese province of Fujian.

Video shown by Chinese state news media showed flames coming from the building’s top-floor windows and huge plumes of smoke over the complex. At least a dozen people appeared to be trapped on the roof as the factory was engulfed by flames and smoke. By around 5 p.m., the fire was mostly extinguished, according to The Beijing News, a Communist Party-controlled newspaper.

In a statement after the fire, China’s leader, Xi Jinping, called on the local authorities to do everything they could to rescue survivors, treat the injured, find the cause of the fire and “hold those responsible accountable,” according to China’s state broadcaster, CCTV.

Mr. Xi’s decision to quickly and personally issue a statement was significant. The Chinese government often keeps back details of accidents while it gathers information and prepares to issue a response. A statement by the leadership is often meant also as a signal to the authorities to commit resources to respond to the disaster.

According to CCTV, the factory belonged to a company called Fujian Huiteng Shoes. The company’s business filings showed that it employed at least 155 people.

The person in charge of the company has been detained, and the company’s accounts have been frozen, according to Xinhua, a Chinese state news agency.

China has a long history of deadly workplace accidents. In May, an explosion at a coal mine in northern China killed 82 people.