72 people now confirmed dead

72 people have now been confirmed dead in the fire which engulfed a shoe factory in the Philippines capital, Manilla.

BBC reports that police have vowed to take swift action against those responsible, amid workers' claims of poor health and safety standards.

The fire reportedly started when sparks from welding work ignited flammable chemicals near the building's entrance.

It then spread quickly with only a few people able to escape, many more were trapped on the second floor of the building, where, according to survivors, iron grills on windows prevented their escape.

About 200 to 300 people were inside the building at the time of the fire, this is according to the owner of the factory, which is operated by Kentex Manufacturing and produces rubber flip flops and sandals.

The mayor of the Valenzuela district, Rexlon Gatchalian, told reporters he did not expect the death toll to rise much further, as the number of bodies retrieved matched the number of people missing.

Meanwhile, survivors and relatives of the victims told the news agency that factory employees worked for below minimum wage, surrounded by chemicals, and unaware of fire safety standards.

Commenting on the incident, acting national police chief Leonardo Espina said "regardless of whether it was an accident or arson, people died. We are just determining what exactly happened so that we can clearly define what charges to file"