Garment factory fire kills 8 in Dhaka as collapse toll hits 950
Source: Agencies |
May 10, 2013, Friday
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Print Edition
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A fire fed by huge piles of acrylic products used to make sweaters killed at least eight people at a Bangladesh garment factory, barely two weeks after a collapse at another garment factory building where the death toll hit 950 yesterday.
The dead in Wednesday night's fire included a ruling-party politician and a top official in the country's powerful clothing manufacturers' trade group. But unlike the collapse at the Rana Plaza building, which was blamed on shoddy construction and disregard for safety regulations, the Tung Hai Sweater factory in the capital Dhaka appeared to have conformed to building codes.
A top fire official said the deaths were caused by panic and bad luck. "They are really unfortunate," said Mamun Mahmud, deputy director of the fire service.
The fire engulfed the lower floors of the 11-story factory. The smoldering acrylic products produced immense amounts of smoke and poison gas that killed those trying to flee. The victims died of suffocation as they ran down the stairs, Mahmud said.
The building appeared on first inspection to have been properly built, though fire inspectors would conduct further checks, he said. It had two stairwells in the front and an emergency exit in the back. Those inside probably panicked when they saw smoke and ran into one of the front stairwells. Had they used the emergency stairwell, they would have survived, he said.
The blaze comes just two weeks after the collapse of the eight-story Rana Plaza building, home to five garment factories, killed at least 950 people and became the worst tragedy in the history of the global garment manufacturing industry. The disaster has raised alarm about the often deadly working conditions in Bangladesh's US$20 billion garment industry, which provides clothing for major retailers around the globe.
The victims of Wednesday's fire included the factory's managing director Mahbubur Rahman, who was also on the board of directors of the powerful Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association. Along with him was senior police official Z.A. Morshed and Sohel Mostafa Swapan, head of a local branch of the ruling party's youth league.
Independent TV, a local station, reported that Rahman had plans to contest next year's elections as a candidate for the ruling party and had been meeting friends to discuss his future when the fire broke out.
It was not immediately clear what caused the fire, which began soon after the factory workers went home for the day and took three hours to bring under control. Mahmud speculated it might have originated in the factory's ironing section.
The country's garment industry has been plagued by a series of disasters, including a November fire at the Tazreen factory that killed 112 and the building collapse.
The dead in Wednesday night's fire included a ruling-party politician and a top official in the country's powerful clothing manufacturers' trade group. But unlike the collapse at the Rana Plaza building, which was blamed on shoddy construction and disregard for safety regulations, the Tung Hai Sweater factory in the capital Dhaka appeared to have conformed to building codes.
A top fire official said the deaths were caused by panic and bad luck. "They are really unfortunate," said Mamun Mahmud, deputy director of the fire service.
The fire engulfed the lower floors of the 11-story factory. The smoldering acrylic products produced immense amounts of smoke and poison gas that killed those trying to flee. The victims died of suffocation as they ran down the stairs, Mahmud said.
The building appeared on first inspection to have been properly built, though fire inspectors would conduct further checks, he said. It had two stairwells in the front and an emergency exit in the back. Those inside probably panicked when they saw smoke and ran into one of the front stairwells. Had they used the emergency stairwell, they would have survived, he said.
The blaze comes just two weeks after the collapse of the eight-story Rana Plaza building, home to five garment factories, killed at least 950 people and became the worst tragedy in the history of the global garment manufacturing industry. The disaster has raised alarm about the often deadly working conditions in Bangladesh's US$20 billion garment industry, which provides clothing for major retailers around the globe.
The victims of Wednesday's fire included the factory's managing director Mahbubur Rahman, who was also on the board of directors of the powerful Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association. Along with him was senior police official Z.A. Morshed and Sohel Mostafa Swapan, head of a local branch of the ruling party's youth league.
Independent TV, a local station, reported that Rahman had plans to contest next year's elections as a candidate for the ruling party and had been meeting friends to discuss his future when the fire broke out.
It was not immediately clear what caused the fire, which began soon after the factory workers went home for the day and took three hours to bring under control. Mahmud speculated it might have originated in the factory's ironing section.
The country's garment industry has been plagued by a series of disasters, including a November fire at the Tazreen factory that killed 112 and the building collapse.
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