Dozens Presumed Dead in Philippine Slipper Factory Fire
MANILA, May 13 (UPI) — Dozens of Philippine factory workers are likely to have died from smoke suffocation after a slipper factory caught fire Wednesday.
The warehouse blaze was believed to have started when sparks from welding work caught fire near the entrance of the two-story building, the BBC reported.
Officials said more than 60 people at the factory, located in a northern Manila suburb, were reported missing by relatives.
CNN reported at least 31 were killed and one injured.
Only three victims’ bodies have been recovered.
Those who survived the fire said the chances others made it alive are slim.
One worker, Emma, said those on the ground floor were able to make it alive, but those toiling away on the second floor would have found it difficult to find a means of escape.
Fire chief Wilberto Nilo said the firefighters had a hard time entering the building due to the extreme heat. Thick smoke from burning rubber and other flammable materials presented an enormous challenge for the rescue team.
Mayor Rex Gatchalian of Valenzuela City, the northern suburb where the fire took place, said there is hope some of the missing workers managed to escape before suffocating from the smoke.
The fire began at 11:28 a.m. local time and continued to spread for hours before it was stopped.
Victims of the fire texted family members for help.
Gatchalian told families to keep contacting relatives to confirm their whereabouts.
