More than 120 people died on Saturday after a fire broke out in a nine-store garment factory just outside of Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka. Fire-fighter officials rescued hundreds of workers that took shelter on the roof of the factory but were unable to rescue those trapped within the building which were burnt alive. Some workers died after jumping from the building trying to escape the flames. The death toll is expected to rise as many people are still missing.
The cause of the blaze seems to be an electrical short circuit and the flames spread quickly from the ground floor upwards. According to initial reports there were not enough emergency exits and some had locks on, which had to be broken in order for workers to escape. The factory had three staircases that were inside the building and went through the heart of the fire on the ground floor so workers could not get out when the blaze started.
The factory employed about 1,200 workers and is owned by Tazreen Fashions, part of the Tuba group. According to their website Tazreen produces for well known brands names including C&A, Carrefour, KIK and Walmart.
Sadly this is not an isolated accident in the Bangladeshi garment industry but a recurrent problem of negligence. Multinational corporations, factory owners and the Bangladeshi government have failed again to ensure that the health and safety of garment workers are at the forefront of the main export-earning sector for the country.
Today, thousands of people took to the streets demanding justice for those who died. Hundreds of factories have been shut.
War on Want calls for an independent investigation into the causes of the fire as well as to bring to justice those responsible for not ensuring health and safety measures at the factory. We also call for compensation for the victims’ families as well as treatment for the injured. We finally call for the brands and the Bangladeshi government to effectively put in place health and safety measures that stop the deaths of garment workers.
For more information and images:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20482273
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/25/bangladesh-textile-factory-fire
