MAY 15 (Eagle News) — Philippine authorities said they would have to resort to doing DNA identification on the remains of those who died in a factory fire, as the death toll from Wednesday’s fire in a Valenzuela slipper factory rose to 72.
Those who died from the fire were not recognizable anymore as they were reduced to mere skull and bones, according to authorities
“Nakita na nila yung mga bangkay doon sa factory site, gayunpaman patuloy ang kanilang paglilinis ng mga debris baka may mga naiwan na hindi nila nakita, pero more or less sinasabi nila na eto na ito, yung 72 na bangkay. (They have found all the bodies in the factory site, but despite all that, they are still clearing the debris because they might have overlooked some areas, but more or less, they are saying that this is it, all 72 bodies),” Philippine Interior Secretary Mar Roxas said.
He said the bodies were burned beyond recognition.
Acting Philippine National Police chief Leonardo Espina also said “many of those retrieved were reduced to skulls and bones.”
The blaze gutted a rubber slipper factory in the Philippine capital of Manila, as police vowed swift action against those responsible.
The victims’ remains were put in body bags as coffins were prepared.
Roxas held a meeting with the victims’ families to explain the problem of identification.
“Ang problema hindi talaga natin masasabi kung sino ang tao, ano ang pangalan ng labi nino. so gusto mang iuwi sa probinsya, gusto lang ilibing ng pamilya, hindi natin alam kung anong labi ang ibibigay sa kanila. so kailangan na matapos na matapos yung DNA testing. (The problem is that we cannot identify each of the victims, the name or who the body belongs to, so even though the families would want to bury them in their provinces, we do not know what remains we can give them, that’s why we need to finish the DNA testing),” he said.
Rescue workers had pulled dozens of corpses from the ruins of the two-story factory building. Most of the bodies were found on the building’s second floor which had not only grilled windows, but also had metal wire meshing that made it impossible for the workers to escape.
Witnesses said they saw many of the workers on the second floor trying to wave to get help during the fire, but that they could not be rescued anymore.
The building was among a long row of factories in Valenzuela. It made cheap slippers and sandals for the local market, and had names such as “Havana” that sounded like well-known global brands, company employees said.
The factory workers toiled for below minimum wage while surrounded by foul-smelling chemicals and were not aware of fire safety standards, survivors and relatives said.
Wednesday’s fire reflects poor occupational health and safety standards that are a challenge for Southeast Asia’s fastest growing nation to tackle, analysts say.
Police said the fire started when sparks from a welding machine set ablaze flammable chemicals near the main entrance of the factory, triggering a huge explosion, followed by billows of black smoke and flames.
Arson investigators have gone to the site to help city police in the probe, authorities said.
The possible violations that they are looking into is overcrowding and lack of welding permit.
Factory owner Veato Ang said about 200 to 300 people worked in the factory, which made flip-flops and slippers for Kentex Manufacturing Inc. (with a report from Reuters)
