by Our Foreign Desk

POLICE in the Philippines promised yesterday to punish those responsible for a sandal factory fire which killed at least 72.

Police will file charges against “all those accountable and those at fault” for Wednesday’s fire in a northern suburb of Manila, said deputy director general Leonardo Espina.

The confirmed death toll in the Kentex Manufacturing Corporation flip-flop factory fire rose to 72 yesterday, more than the number of people initially believed to be in the building.

Interior Secretary Mar Roxas said that the city fire marshall and two other fire officers had been sacked in the wake of the disaster.

The news of the investigation came as relatives alleged that barred windows in the factory prevented victims from escaping.

Dionesio Candido, whose daughter, granddaughter, sister-in-law and niece were among the missing, said iron grills reinforced with wire fencing covered windows on the first floor that “could prevent even cats from escaping.”

Authorities allowed him to enter the gutted building where he saw charred remains “piled on top of each other.”

At a village hall, relatives tried to identify 69 bodies through jewellery and other personal items. Three other bodies found earlier had already been identified.

Valenzuela fire marshal Mel Jose Lagan told a press conference shortly before his sacking that investigators will question why victims were unable to escape via a wide stairway at the back of the building.

They will also look into whether there were more people inside the building than allowed.

Valenzuela Mayor Rex Gatchalian said that a worker’s log book was lost in the fire and that the foreman was among the dead, making it difficult to determine how many were inside the factory.