55 people die in Casablanca mattress factory fire
From Wikinews, the free news source you can write!
Saturday, April 26, 2008
- 7 December 2009: Guinean military leader in 'favourable' condition after attempted assassination
- 6 December 2009: Western Sahara campaigner still blocked from returning home by Moroccan authorities; on twentieth day of hunger strike
- 22 November 2009: Saudi Arabia fears Hajj swine flu outbreak as four pilgrims die
- 27 February 2009: Guantanamo captive returned to the United Kingdom
- 20 January 2009: Parajet Skycar expedition takes off from London to Timbuktu
55 people were killed today after a mattress factory in Casablanca, Morocco was swept by fire. The fire initiated on the ground floor this morning and quickly engulfed the entire building.
12 others were injured - seriously, according to the Irish Times - including one police officer. 100 firefighters were dispatched to the five-storey factory after the blaze broke out at 10 am local time. Earlier reports had indicated 25 deaths and eight people injured. MAP, the state news agency, is quoted by the Irish Times as saying the building was four storeys high, citing in turn city officials.
The disaster occurred at the Rosamor Ameublements factory, which is located in the Hay Hassani area of the nation's economic centre. Of the 150 people the facility employed, around 60 were inside at the time.
An official statement by city authorities shows that preliminary investigation indicates onsite chemicals were responsible for the fire's rapid spread, but no actual cause has yet been determined. A full inquiry has been launched to investigate the accident fully.
Sources
- "Death toll in Casablanca fire at 55". Irish Times, April 26, 2008
- "MAP: Death toll rises to 55 in Morocco's mattress factory fire". Xinhua, April 26, 2008
- "Moroccan official agency: Factory fire in Casablanca kills 55". Jerusalem Post, April 26, 2008
 Share this: |
 |
This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.
Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators. Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age. |
