At least 25 people have been killed and 70 injured, many critically, in a huge fire triggered by a boiler explosion at a Bangladeshi packaging factory on Saturday.
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A fire at a plastics factory a year ago killed 13 persons, and in 2013 more than 1,100 people died in the Rana Plaza factory collapse, the worst industrial accident in the country.
Fire officials said late on Saturday they had been unable to enter the building and search through the debris, amid fears that the death toll could rise further. It triggered a fire that killed at least 23 workers and injured dozens.
Gazipur fire service’s Deputy Assistant Director Md Aktaruzzaman said three more bodies have been recovered from the building on Monday.
The police said many workers may still be trapped inside the building.
He said: “We checked the design of this factory and initially it is our understanding that it was a one-floor building and later the floor had been raised, similar to the case of Rana Plaza”.
However, weak fire protection systems are common in factories in Bangladesh.
The packaging factory supplies brands including British American Tobacco and Nestle Bangladesh, according to its website.
Around 100 people were in the building when the fire broke out.
The Rana Plaza tragedy triggered global outrage and successfully put pressure on USA and European clothing brands to improve deplorable safety conditions at the factories which supply them.
The seven other accused are Mokbul’s wife Parvin, factory managing director Tanvir Ahmed, general manager Shafiqur Rahman, manager (administration) Monir Hossain, manager (general) Samir Ahmed, manager Hanif and DMD Alamgir Hossain.
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The factory produced and printed the plastic packaging for food items like potato chips and small household goods including mosquito coils.
