INFERNO The fire that hit a Japanese-owned factory in Cavite province is among the worst in the country’s economic zones, according to an official of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority. —RICHARD REYES
GENERAL TRIAS, Cavite—At least 126 people, including at least two Japanese, were injured after a fire that raged for more than 18 hours starting Wednesday night hit a three-story factory at the Cavite Export Processing Zone here, local officials said.
Firetrucks had been going in and out of the area here on Thursday afternoon, as efforts continued to put out the fire at the Japanese-owned House Technology Industries (HTI).
Cavite Gov. Jesus Crispin Remulla said the fire was under control but had not been fully extinguished past noon Thursday.
Reports said hundreds of workers were preparing for the next shift at 6 p.m. on Wednesday when the fire broke out.
A female production operator, working from an adjacent building of HTI, remembered hearing an explosion that was followed by thick smoke.
The next thing she knew was that they were being told to evacuate.
“We could see that huge smoke,” said the worker, who declined to be identified as they were not allowed to speak to reporters. “Then there were people jumping out of the [burning] building,” she said.
Remulla said that of the 126 people injured, four were in critical condition in different hospitals on Thursday.
Charito Plaza, Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) director general, said three were confirmed missing, while 32 others were being located either in hospitals or in their homes.
Remulla said firefighters hoped to enter and inspect the factory later on Thursday.
Biggest employer
Officials from the Cavite provincial government and Peza, in separate media briefings, said the fire started inside the building’s insulation room, which they described as similar to a mezzanine and situated between the ground and second floors.
