Fire broke out at a mattress factory in the Moroccan coastal city of Casablanca on Saturday killing 55 people, state news agency MAP reported. Twelve others including a police officer were seriously injured in the blaze which took hold on the ground floor of the factory and quickly engulfed the entire building, MAP said.
Over 100 fire-fighters were deployed to bring the blaze under control at the Rosamor Ameublements factory in the Hay Hassani neighborhood.
Around 100 of the factory's 150 employees were on site when the fire broke out, MAP added. "The fire, which broke out around 10 a.m. in the four-storey factory ... spread rapidly throughout the factory because of the nature of the chemical products stored there," MAP said, citing a statement from Casablanca town hall.
An inquiry has been launched to determine the cause of the fire, Reuters added.
© 2008 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
