15 die as fire breaks out at Philippine factory; rain, wrong address delay firefighters

Manila, August 31

A fire killed 15 people Thursday in a small apparel factory in a Philippine residential area, where firefighters were delayed by flooding, traffic and a wrong address, a fire protection official.

Most of the victims appeared to be factory workers and carpenters who were sleeping in rooms when the fire broke out on Thursday morning.

Some were found dead on an aisle outside the rooms and the factory owner and his child were among the dead, Nahum Tarroza of the Bureau of Fire Protection said.

Three people survived with injuries by jumping off the second floor of the two-story factory in panic, Tarroza said. The three were taken to a hospital.

The firefighters arrived in about 14 minutes after rain and wind cause flooding and traffic jams and a wrong address was given to firefighters, Tarroza said.

The fire in the Pleasant View residential enclave in Tandang Sora village in suburban Quezon city was extinguished in two hours. An investigation was looking into the cause.

The factory stored combustible materials and textile used in making apparel and also printed designs on shirts used for business promotions, village officials said.