Death toll from the fire that razed a gas lighter factory in Indonesia’s North Sumatra city of Binjai on Friday has increased to at least 30, local TV reported.
“At least 30 people, 27 adults and three children, were killed in the fire,’’ Head of Langkat regency Disaster Mitigation Office Irwan Sjahri said as quoted by MetroTV.
Sjahri, who oversees the fire location in Binjai’s Sambirejo village said that all of those affected by the fire had been transferred to Ilham and Bhayangkara hospitals in Binjai.
The fire started at around 11:30 a.m. in the factory located in the residential compound.
A witness said that an explosion was heard prior to the fire, adding that most of the workers were staying in one room altogether.
Rescuers, residents and fire fighters managed to extinguish the fire two hours later.
Investigation into the cause of fire is underway. (Xinhua/NAN)