Most of the 14 dead workers were under 30 years old, from nearby regions. Besides one male worker, all the other deceased were female.
"It was so miserable. There were 12 unmarried young girls and a 29-year-old pregnant worker," said Chen.
Local villagers rushed to rescue the workers after they saw flames coming from the factory.
The fire spread from the ground floor and workers inside could not escape from the stairs, said a villager surnamed Zhang whose hands were hurt in the rescue.
"So, some of them jumped from the windows and we tried to catch them. Some of us were injured in the rescue," according to Zhang.
Preliminary investigations indicated the incident was the result of arson. Most of the casualties came as a result of smoke inhalation, said Chen Zhiwei, a local policeman in charge of the investigation.
The case is still being investigated, and Shantou City is working to determine the identities of the 14 dead and undertake check-ups on the safety of other factory facilities in the city.
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