Police vow swift justice as death toll from Philippine factory fire rises to 72

The death toll has risen to 72 in a fire that gutted a rubber slipper factory in the Philippine capital of Manila, a firefighter said on Thursday, as police vowed swift action against those responsible for the mishap. 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. As many as 72 bodies have been pulled from the wreckage of the two-storey factory, fire official Sergio Soriano Jr. said on radio, shortly after Rexlon Gatchalian, mayor of Valenzuela city in Manila, announced a toll of 58, with 13 missing.

Definitely there will be charges here, because people died. Regardless of whether it was an accident or arson, people died. We are just determining what exactly happened so that we can clearly define what charges to file.

Leonardo Espina, acting director of the Philippine National Police

Estimates by local government and fire officials have been in conflict since Wednesday, complicated by the difficulties of retrieving bodies from the wreckage. 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. Identifying the charred remains of victims will be a difficult task, said Dionesio Candido, whose 19-year-old daughter was among the factory workers, but all he saw was four piles of charred bones and skulls, with victims hugging each other.

When I saw them, (I felt) any parent or sibling would not be able to identify the victims.

Dionesio Candido

Asia-Pacific Manila factory