Bangladesh: latest factory fire underlines relevance of Accord/Alliance
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A fire at a garment factory in Muktarpur, Munshiganj district, which borders the district of Bangladesh's capital Dhaka, has claimed the lives of at least six workers and injured several others.
The fire at Ideal Textile Mill - a factory neither covered by the Accord nor the Alliance - broke out on the fourth floor of the six-storey building at around 10 am on Wednesday and was brought under control by 2:30 pm, three hours after fire service units arrived. The cause of the fire has not been confirmed yet, though there is suspicion that it could have originated from welding sparks.
Alamgir Hossain, officer-in-charge at Munshiganj Sadar police station, confirmed according to the Dhaka Tribune that the dead bodies of five men and one woman had been recovered from inside the factory building. The victims were identified as Israfil, 23, Sajib, 23, Nazmul, 22, Babu Mia, 22, Roton Mia, 22, and Hasina Begum, 50, the cook of the factory. It is feared that the death toll may rise as cleanup efforts continue.
According to Munshiganj deputy commissioner Sayla Farjana, four mill officials have been handed over to police in connection with the fire. AKM Showkat Ali Mazumder, additional district magistrate of Munshiganj, said that a five-member probe committee had been formed to investigate the incident.