By DPA,
Casablanca : At least 55 people were killed and 12 seriously injured when a fire broke out Saturday in a mattress manufacturing factory in an industrial estate here.
The cause of the blaze, which started on the ground floor of the four-storey building, was still unclear, authorities said. Chemicals stored in the factory had caused the blaze to spread quickly.
Around 100 workers were in the building when the fire started, MAP news agency reported.
A terrorist attack has been ruled out, sources added. Islamist extremists had staged several attacks across Casablanca in the past years.
Around 100 firefighters had spent more than three hours trying to bring the fire under control and some were among the injured.
Firefighters had also said that security measures in the factory were lacking, television reports said.
King Mohammed VI has ordered an investigation into the cause of the blaze.