24 killed in stampede at Bangladesh factory
Print Edition
AT least 24 people were killed in a stampede during a Ramadan charity handout in Bangladesh yesterday as hundreds of desperately poor people tried to get their hands on free clothing, police said.
The tragedy in the northern city of Mymensingh happened when crowds of people tried to force their way into a factory compound through a small gate after massing outside before dawn, according to local police chiefs.
Television footage from the site showed scenes of utter devastation, with hundreds of torn and blood-spattered sandals abandoned at the gate of the chewing tobacco factory, which is located about 120 kilometers north of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka.
“We have so far recovered 24 bodies. Most of the dead are poor and emaciated women and two children,” said Mymensingh police chief Moinul Haque, putting the number of injured at more than 50.
Kamrul Islam, the senior officer at a police station near the factory, said the death toll was likely to rise further while local media said scores of people had also been injured.
“We have handed over 24 bodies to relatives,” Islam said.
Many of the victims were ferried by cycle rickshaws to a nearby hospital with television footage showing relatives rushing through the entrance and corridors, cradling the lifeless bodies of their loved ones in their arms.
“My wife had gone there to collect some clothes for herself and for our children,” Mohammad Robiul, a rickshaw-puller, told the Somoy TV news channel.
“I don’t know what will happen to my kids,” Robiul, who lost his wife in the tragedy, said before bursting into tears.
A witness said the stampede began when a number of people fell to the ground as a melee erupted.
“As the gate was opening, everybody ran towards it, pushing and shoving each other and then they started falling,” said rickshaw-puller Dulal Mia.
“Once one person fell to the ground, another 15 to 20 people fell, too. The people got killed when they closed the gate,” he said.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed deep shock over the tragedy, according to the state-run BSS news agency.
In a condolence message, he offered prayers and “conveyed profound sympathy to the bereaved families,” the agency said.
Meanwhile, the religious affairs ministry said it will pay each family 10,000 taka (US$125) to cover the cost of the funerals of their relatives.
Police and local officials said that the owner of the factory and six other people have been arrested for failing to ensure public safety.
“Legal action will be taken against them,” said District Governor Mustakim Billah.
A special police committee has been set up to investigate the tragedy and is due to report its findings within the next three days.
Police said up to 1,500 people had massed outside the factory about 4:45am on Thursday after the owners announced they would distribute free clothes to poor people in accordance with Islamic ritual.
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