13 people charged following boiler explosion in garment factory

London - 13 people have been charged with a number of offences ranging from negligence to murder following a boiler explosion in a garment factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh killed 13 people and injured 50 more, said police officials on Wednesday.

Police are said to have linked the incident to three boiler operators who died in the explosion on Monday, as well as 10 currently unidentified individuals, according to a report from Reuters. "They have been accused of negligence and murder as they continued to operate the boiler, ignoring safety concerns," said Aminul Islam, chief of the police station in charge of investigating the explosion. Authorities added that any survivors found guilty are set to face a wide range of punishments, including life imprisonment and the death penalty.

Preliminary research indicated that the license for the boiler previously expired on June 24, said district administrator Dewan Muhammad Humayun Kabir to Reuters, although the company argues it apply to renew the license beforehand. “We applied to the authorities for renewal on June 15," said company chairman Mahiuddin Faruqui. "There was no negligence on our side." The news follows on from the Multifabs factory boiler explosion on Monday. Since then Labor Rights Groups have banded together to urge the Bangladesh Accord to include boiler inspection and safety in the accord.