People carry away the body of a dead worker in Wenzhou in east China's Zhejiang Province. (Xinhua)

HANGZHOU, Nov. 3 (Xinhuanet) -- Six people were confirmed dead when a shoe plant caught fire Wednesday in Wenzhou, a leading manufacturing base in east China's Zhejiang Province, local government sources said Thursday.

    The accident occurred at 6:00 p.m. at Kejianshun Shoe Plant, an unlicensed workshop in Panqiao town, Ouhai district. Before the fire engine arrived, a team of voluntary fire fighters had put out the blaze with the help of local residents.

    Sources with the Wenzhou fire brigade said high density of flammable gas given out by combustible shoemaking materials and poor ventilation in the workshop were probably to blame for the fire.

    A migrant worker, surnamed Li, confirmed there are many unlicensed workshops in Panqiao town and they all keep windows and doors shut to avoid being detected.

    The local government is working on a compensation scheme for the victims' families and the public security authorities are still investigating the accident. Enditem