SYDNEY, March 2 (Xinhua) -- Three homeless people have died in a factory fire in Australia's Melbourne west, authorities have confirmed.
Emergency services were called to an abandoned factory in Footscray, 7 kilometers west of Melbourne's CBD, in the early hours of Thursday morning following reports of a fire and explosions.
Crews were able to restrict the blaze to a single room at the back of the factory and were able to extinguish the fire within 40 minutes.
Three bodies that have not yet been identified were found in the room but authorities believe the victims were two men and a woman.
The factory has been known as a popular sleeping spot for squatters and homeless people and had been the subject of plans to redevelop the site into apartments.
The cause of the fire is not known but it is being treated as suspicious and authorities have indicated that a petrol can found near the scene will be a key part of the investigation.
