MANILA: As many as 72 people were killed in a massive blaze at a footwear factory in Manila, the capital of Philippine, authorities said Thursday.
Firefighters and police pulled dozens of corpses out of the ruins of the two-story building on Thursday, a day after the blaze trapped the terrified workers
Angry relatives and workers described sweatshop conditions including dismal fire safety standards with apparently few exits and no fire safety training.
National police chief Leonardo Espina told media men in an emotional press conference that many of those retrieved had been reduced to skulls and bones ,
The local authorities confirmed 72 people had died in deadly fire.
Sparks from welding equipment used to repair a broken gate are believed to have caused the fire when they ignited flammable chemicals stored nearby.
At least 72 bodies had been pulled from the gutted building, the authorities told to media.
He said he believed this would be close to the final death toll, as the figure matched the number of people missing. The building, among a long row of factories in the rundown district of Valenzuela on the northern edge of the Philippine capital, made cheap slippers and sandals for the local market.
