72 killed in Philippines factory fire

Firefighters and police pulled dozens of corpses out of the ruins of the two-storey <g data-gr-id="44">buildingon</g> <g data-gr-id="89">Thursday ,</g> a day after the blaze trapped the terrified workers with <g data-gr-id="45">ap  parently</g> few exits and no fire safety training.

"Many of those retrieved were reduced to skulls and bones," national police chief Leonardo Espina said during an emotional press conference, as local authorities confirmed 72 people had died.

"Someone will definitely be charged because of the deaths. It doesn't matter if it's an accident, people died. Right now, we are investigating to clearly define what happened. For sure, someone will be charged."

 

Sparks from welding equipment used to repair a broken gate are believed to have caused the fire when they ignited flammable chemicals stored nearby.

By early afternoon, 72 bodies had been pulled from the gutted building, Valenzuela mayor Rex Gatchalian told AFP.

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.

The footwear had names such as "Havana" that sound like well-known global brands, company employees said. 

Survivors and relatives of the victims told the news agency that factory employees worked for <g data-gr-id="37">below</g> minimum wage, surrounded by chemicals, and unaware of fire safety standards.

"We were running not knowing exactly where to go," one of the survivors, Lisandro Mendoza, said.

Some of those trapped texted family members asking for help, local media reported.

The process of identifying the bodies will take time, officials warn, as fingerprints can no longer be used to identify the charred remains of the victims.

The factory is in the rundown district of Valenzuela in the north of the capital.