A fire killed at least 16 people at a shoe factory in the eastern province of Zhejiang on Tuesday, state media reported.
Firefighters rescued more than 20 other workers at the plant in the coastal city of Wenling after the fire broke out mid-afternoon, state broadcaster China Central Television quoted officials as saying, dpa reported.
The blaze raged for nearly three hours at the 800-square-metre Dadong shoe factory, the broadcaster said.
All the rescued workers were receiving treatment at local hospitals, it said.
The report gave no details of the cause of the fire.