At least nine people have been killed in a fire at a
clothing factory near the Bangladeshi capital
Dhaka, emergency officials say.
Local media said about 50 people had been hurt in the
fire, which broke out late on Tuesday in Gazipur.
It was feared the number of people killed could rise.
Safety standards in Bangladesh's garment factories are
notoriously poor. More than 1,100 people died in April
when a factory outside Dhaka collapsed.
Another 2,500 people were injured in the disaster in
the Ashulia district on the outskirts of the capital, where
most of the clothing industry is based.
Last November, 112 workers were killed in a fire at
another clothes factory in the area.
The cause of the latest fire was not immediately clear,
but reports said it broke out at a knitting section of
Aswad Composite Mills.
Reports quoted officials saying water shortages and a
lack of nearby fire stations had allowed the blaze to
escalate.
"It's a massive fire. Ten fire brigade teams are working
to put it out," local police chief Amir Hossain told
Agence France-Presse.
Although most members of a reported workforce of
3,000 had left the building for the day, a number of
people were said to have been working overtime.
"We could not control the fire. It has been raging for
more than six hours," local fire chief M Akteruzzaman
told AFP.
"There is an acute shortage of water in the area, which
makes the job to control the fire very difficult."
Police officer Ameer Hossain told the Daily Star in
Bangladesh that nine bodies had been recovered. Other
accounts put the toll at 10.
Clothing makes up around three-quarters of
Bangladesh's total exports, and the factory collapse
prompted protests and calls for improved safety
measures.
Dozens of international retailers agreed a plan last July
to conduct inspections at factories from which their
goods were sourced.
clothing factory near the Bangladeshi capital
Dhaka, emergency officials say.
Local media said about 50 people had been hurt in the
fire, which broke out late on Tuesday in Gazipur.
It was feared the number of people killed could rise.
Safety standards in Bangladesh's garment factories are
notoriously poor. More than 1,100 people died in April
when a factory outside Dhaka collapsed.
Another 2,500 people were injured in the disaster in
the Ashulia district on the outskirts of the capital, where
most of the clothing industry is based.
Last November, 112 workers were killed in a fire at
another clothes factory in the area.
The cause of the latest fire was not immediately clear,
but reports said it broke out at a knitting section of
Aswad Composite Mills.
Reports quoted officials saying water shortages and a
lack of nearby fire stations had allowed the blaze to
escalate.
"It's a massive fire. Ten fire brigade teams are working
to put it out," local police chief Amir Hossain told
Agence France-Presse.
Although most members of a reported workforce of
3,000 had left the building for the day, a number of
people were said to have been working overtime.
"We could not control the fire. It has been raging for
more than six hours," local fire chief M Akteruzzaman
told AFP.
"There is an acute shortage of water in the area, which
makes the job to control the fire very difficult."
Police officer Ameer Hossain told the Daily Star in
Bangladesh that nine bodies had been recovered. Other
accounts put the toll at 10.
Clothing makes up around three-quarters of
Bangladesh's total exports, and the factory collapse
prompted protests and calls for improved safety
measures.
Dozens of international retailers agreed a plan last July
to conduct inspections at factories from which their
goods were sourced.
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