A deadly fire breakout in a clothing factory in Munshiganj area of Bangladesh killed at least six on September 20. The area is only 20 kilometres away from the capital Dhaka.
The fire reportedly exploded on the ground floor and quickly engulfed the four-storey building. The ground floor was loaded with chemicals and dyes that fuelled the fire.
Alamgir Hossain, a police officer reportedly said, “The mill was closed during the time of calamity but we found few workers and six bodies including one woman worker from the accident-prone area.”
The Munshiganj fire accident is the second this year in the world’s second-largest garment export country. Earlier in the month of July, Medlar Apparels Factory, an eight-storey building in Ashulia, went up in flames. However, no casualties were reported.
Bangladesh’s garment industry earns around US $ 28 billion annually and employs over 4 million people. The sector generates about 80 per cent of the country’s total export earnings.
This is high time for the country to ensure safety measures for workers after continuous mishaps in the factories.