A fatal fire swept the factory of Tampaco Foil early on Saturday, which is said to have started after a boiler exploded.
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Thick plumes of smoke, pockets of fire and a partially collapsed building stalled search efforts, after a blaze that began early on Saturday swept through a factory making packaging material for local and global companies.
DHAKA The fire at a food and cigarette packaging factory in Bangladesh that killed at least 26 people has been extinguished, but heavy smoke and the risk of the building collapsing further were hampering the search of the premises, officials said on Sunday.
Parvez Mia, a doctor at the Tongi government hospital, said the death toll was at 25, up from 22 previously reported.
At least 10 people have been killed in a fire at a garment factory north of the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, with emergency officials warning the death toll could rise. The blaze broke out as workers prepared to swap shifts in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Rajesh Babu, who worked as a cleaner at the factory, has not been seen since Saturday, said his mother, Mina Rani Dey.
As firefighters battled to control the blaze, police and rescue workers launched a desperate search for survivors.
The father of a victim filed a case against the Tampaco Foils Factory owner and six others with Tongi Police Station last night.
Share with Us – We’d love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article, and smart, constructive criticism. “They’ll probe why the fire occurred and whether the factory lacked proper fire safety measures”.
The Rana Plaza disaster led to worldwide calls to improve factory safety in the country.
It also raised renewed questions about industrial safety in Bangladesh, one of the world’s top garment exporters.
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Fire fighters work to put out the fire at a packaging factory in Tongi industy area outside Dhaka, Bangladesh.
