MANILA: At least fifteen people died on Thursday when a fire engulfed a house used as a clothing factory in Manila, Philippines, authorities said.
Local fire marshal Senior Superintendent Aristotle Banaga said during a news conference that the fire started in the two-storey structure in Manila at around 5:00 am (2100 GMT).
According to the local mayor Joy Belmonte, there were 18 people inside the suburban home when the fire broke out.
Only three people managed to escape, and the owner of the house was also among those who died in the incident.
Video footages of the fire shared on social media showed the building composed of wood and concrete in a residential neighborhood was completely engulfed by fires.
Banaga said that the cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.
According to investigators, the structure had a business permit for trading in shoes and bags but was actually being used to create and print T-shirts. Just three people were listed as employees.
“We observed several legal violations here. These violations are the causes of this horrible occurrence in our city,” said Belmonte.
