Toxic gas and a locked door that barred access to a roof were responsible for most of the deaths in a devastating fire in a Bangladesh garment factory and an adjoining chemical warehouse, a fire official said on Wednesday.
The tragedy, which killed 16 and critically injured several more, spotlights Bangladesh’s poor record on industrial safety, despite improvements following incidents in 2012 and 2013 that drew global attention to unsafe working conditions.
Thick smoke rose as firefighters cooled the charred remains of a four-storey building in Dhaka, a day after a blaze on its third floor spread through a warehouse filled with plastic and chemicals.
"The victims could not escape because the roof door was locked," said fire service official Talha Bin Jashim. "Most of them died from inhaling toxic gas, rather than burns."
He added, "There’s still smoke because of the stored chemicals, and the toxic fumes are making it difficult to bring the fire under control."
Dozens of relatives waited outside the blackened building, some clutching photographs of those missing. Identification of the bodies, many badly burned, is being carried out at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
The government has launched an investigation to determine the cause of the fire and identify those responsible for safety lapses.
Many workers in garment factories nearby fell ill from inhaling the smoke that shrouded the site in the capital's Mirpur area.
Authorities later ordered all surrounding factories to shut down temporarily, as a safety measure.
Many small factories and warehouses in Bangladesh operate with little oversight, though conditions in the garment industry have improved since the 2012 Tazreen Fashions fire and the 2013 Rana Plaza collapse that killed more than 1,200 workers.
The world’s second-largest exporter of apparel, Bangladesh supplies major retailers such as Walmart, Gap, and H&M, employing 4 million people and generating about $40 billion a year, or more than a tenth of GDP.
Fires are common in densely populated Dhaka, often caused by faulty wiring, gas leaks or unsafe storage of chemicals.
In 2021, a similar fire at a food processing factory killed 54, while in 2019, a fire in the capital’s old quarter killed at least 70.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's aircraft was nearly struck by a drone while departing Moldova on ...
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said on Wednesday they attacked two U.S. vessels and eight oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, calling the st...
Georgia’s International Maritime Forum has closed in Batumi with officials setting out investment targets, timelines and technical plans aime...
Four people were killed, including a child, in Ukrainian strikes on the Russian port city of Novorossiysk overnight, according to the governor of the Krasnodar region. Ukraine's drone forces commander, Robert Brovdi, said Russian military ships were destroyed in the attacks.
A TV channel was struck during a live broadcast on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as Russian strikes on Kyiv killed at least three people, the city's Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Meanwhile, drones hit civilian infrastructure in Russia's southwestern Saratov region.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) allegedly launched two ballistic missile attacks against a U.S. Navy warship over the past two days.
Wildfires have broken out in Türkiye’s Antalya province, forcing hundreds of people to evacuate as strong winds fuelled the flames.
Indonesia has reopened Jakarta's main airport and four others after volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatau forced widespread flight cancellations, though fresh eruptions have kept authorities on alert.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's aircraft was nearly struck by a drone while departing Moldova on its way to Norway, according to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said on Wednesday they attacked two U.S. vessels and eight oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, calling the strikes a response to a U.S. attack on five Iranian tankers.
The United Nations has called for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan, warning that escalating drone warfare and attacks on civilian infrastructure are deepening the country's already devastating humanitarian crisis.
Climate leaders in Baku are calling for a shift from climate commitments to concrete action as day three of Baku Climate Action Week focuses on implementation, cooperation and measurable results.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has dissolved parliament and called a snap election for 25 October, as he seeks to extend his political influence by running for prime minister.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment