Over 300 people killed in Pakistan factory fires - WKOW 27: Madison, WI Breaking News, Weather and Sports

KARACHI, PAKISTAN (WKOW)-- The death toll from a pair of devastating factory fires that broke out in Pakistan's two biggest cities rose on Wednesday to 314 people. 

Many of them perished because they were not able to escape the buildings that lacked emergency exits and basic safety equipment like alarms and sprinklers. This is one of the worst industrial accidents in Pakistan's 65-year history, and government official Roshan Ali Sheikh says the death toll could rise, since rescue workers were still pulling bodies out of the site in Karachi.

Fire officials say most of the deaths were caused by suffocation, as people caught in the basement were unable to escape when it filled with spoke. 

The factory's managers have fled and are being sought by police, says Sheikh. Authorities have placed the name of the factory's owner on a list of people who are not allowed to leave the country. It is not clear what started the blaze.