MANILA, Philippines, May 14 (Reuters) — A fire at a Philippine rubber slipper factory killed 31 workers on Wednesday (May 13) and dozens were missing and feared dead, government and fire officials said.
Ariel Barayuga, head of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), said investigators were trying to determine the cause of the blaze in the capital, Manila, that trapped workers at the two-storey factory building of Kentex Manufacturing Inc, which makes flip-flops and slippers.
A fireman who gave his name as Soriano said 31 bodies had been found, adding most of the victims had died of suffocation. He said there were flammable materials and chemicals that helped spread the flames.
Factory worker Steve Chua described what happened inside the factory.
“While we were welding, there was a spark and the fire spread. We tried throwing water and using the fire extinguisher but it didn’t work,” he said.
Factory worker Elizabeth Indoy said many of the workers were trapped on the second floor.
“There was an explosion and a big fire, so we immediately rushed to the fire exit, but some of our co-workers upstairs did not know of the fire down below, so they could not get down. They were trapped. I believe there were 70 of them there,” she said.
Catherine Rivera, a relative of two factory workers, was searching for her family members.
“I really hope that they were able to escape,” she said.
About 200 to 300 people worked in the factory, according to Veato Ang, the factory owner.
Thirty-nine workers had been accounted for, but 65 were reported missing and feared dead. Portions of the wall and roof on the second floor also collapsed and hit some of the workers.
