A fire in an illegal garment factory killed five people and injured three others Friday in Guangzhou City of south China's Guangdong Province, according to local sources.

The fire came out at 11:30 AM Friday and only lasted for ten minutes in a six-story building. When the tragedy happened, 19 employees of the factory were sleeping in the building. Five people, including four male and one female, were killed in the fire, while the others ran out with the help of fire fighters.

The boss of the factory said that because he had no legal certificates to run the factory, he asked employees to work at night but sleep at daytime.

The cause of the fire is under investigation and the boss of the factory has been receiving inquiry of police.

(Xinhua News Agency October 9, 2004)