45 Dead as Fire Gutted in Philippines Factory

KABUL: (Middle East Press) A factory was burnt off after fire erupted in leaving at least 45 people dead in a suburb of the Philippines capital city of Manila, officials say.

According to reports, the blaze broke out as sparks from welding work set fire to flammable chemicals near the slipper factory, local officials said on Wednesday.

The death toll is expected to rise, as 26 other people are still not accounted for and so far firefighters battling the blaze have not found any survivors, they added.

The officials stated, it is believed that most of the victims were suffocated by the thick smoke caused by burning chemicals and rubber.

Only a few people were able to escape the fire as it spread quickly after starting, trapping people on the second floor of the building.

According to local media, some of the trapped victims had texted family members for help before death.

The blaze took over five hours to contain and corpse recovery has been hampered due to the unsafe conditions of the building.

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