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| Three killed in fire at abandoned Melbourne factory | Three killed in fire at abandoned Melbourne factory |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Three people have died in a suspicious fire that tore through an abandoned factory in Melbourne, Australia. | Three people have died in a suspicious fire that tore through an abandoned factory in Melbourne, Australia. |
| Firefighters were called around 23:30 (12:30 GMT) on Wednesday after reports of an explosion. | Firefighters were called around 23:30 (12:30 GMT) on Wednesday after reports of an explosion. |
| It took them 40 minutes to extinguish the blaze before finding three bodies inside. Local media say the victims are believed to be two men and a woman. | It took them 40 minutes to extinguish the blaze before finding three bodies inside. Local media say the victims are believed to be two men and a woman. |
| The factory was often used as a shelter by homeless people. | The factory was often used as a shelter by homeless people. |
| Arson experts will investigate the cause of the fire, police said. | Arson experts will investigate the cause of the fire, police said. |
| One witness, taxi driver Mohamed Ali, said he had heard screams coming from the factory in Footscray, in the city's west. | One witness, taxi driver Mohamed Ali, said he had heard screams coming from the factory in Footscray, in the city's west. |
| "A few minutes later I saw the fire engines come," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. | "A few minutes later I saw the fire engines come," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. |
| "For me, it's a horrible situation because we couldn't help. I haven't seen anything like this in my whole life. I'm not feeling good." | "For me, it's a horrible situation because we couldn't help. I haven't seen anything like this in my whole life. I'm not feeling good." |
| Prominent Melbourne youth worker Les Twentyman said homeless people often took refuge at the site. | Prominent Melbourne youth worker Les Twentyman said homeless people often took refuge at the site. |
| "There is a little alcove near the car park - people sleep in that little alcove,'' he told the Herald Sun. | "There is a little alcove near the car park - people sleep in that little alcove,'' he told the Herald Sun. |
| "It just shows how desperate they are." | "It just shows how desperate they are." |
| The site was originally Victoria's largest ropeworks and operated from 1903 to 2002. After the factory shut, the state government backed plans to build a large apartment complex on the site. |