Dhaka (AsiaNews / Agencies) - A fire blazed through a garment factory in an industrial district of Dhaka. The initial toll is seven dead. The tragedy took place two weeks after the collapse of the Rana Plaza that claimed the lives of over 900 people and according to the police today's toll could have been much higher. The fire broke out after working hours, when nearly all the workers had left.
The factory belongs to Tung Hai Group, a major
clothing exporter, and it does not do night shifts. The victims include the owner of the establishment and other employees.
The collapse of the Rana Plaza, considered one
of the worst tragedies in the
country, has put the spotlight on
the speculation and the
exploitation of cheap labor in
the textile mills that work for large Western brands. Declared unfit and
unsafe for some time, the Rana Plaza housed
five garment factories where thousands of people worked, with 24-hour shifts, for a few dollars a day. After the protests that brought tens of thousands of workers to
the streets last May 1 the
government of Bangladesh has closed
18 factories for
safety reasons.