Six people have been confirmed dead after a shoe
plant fire on Wednesday in Wenzhou, a leading manufacturing base in
east China's Zhejiang Province, the local government said
yesterday.
The fire took place at 6:00 PM at Kejianshun Shoe
Plant, an unlicensed workshop in Panqiao Township of Ouhai
District.
Before the fire engines arrived, a team of
voluntary firefighters had put the blaze out with the help of local
residents.
Wenzhou fire brigade sources said the high density
of flammable gas from combustible shoemaking materials and poor
ventilation in the workshop were probably to blame.
One migrant worker named Li said there are many
unlicensed workshops in Panqiao and they all keep windows and doors
shut to avoid detection.
Xinhua News Agency reported today that the local
government is working on a compensation scheme for victims'
families and the public security authorities are investigating the
cause.
(Xinhua News Agency November 3, 2005)