The Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported on Saturday that the fire erupted due to a boiler explosion at the Tampako Packaging Factory in the industrial town of Tongi, 20km north of the capital.
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Officials said that Bangladesh fire fighters, after hectic efforts of eight hours, managed to put out the blaze, which was spreading to other adjacent buildings Saturday at around 3p.m. local time.
Local TV stations said about 50 people were injured in all.
A boiler exploded and triggered a fire at a packaging factory near Bangladesh’s capital on Saturday, killing at least 23 workers and injuring dozens, officials said. “What we have heard is that there were chemicals stored on the ground floor”.
Firefighters were still trying to extinguish the blaze in the four-storey building on Saturday morning.
This was the last work day at the factory before the start of the Muslim festival Eid al-Adha, which is set to begin on Tuesday in Bangladesh.
“I was working in the office room when I heard an explosion and felt a tremor”.
“Atikul Islam said he could not reach his brother Rafikul Islam over phone after the accident and went to the Tongi hospital. Looking at how the fire is still going, it’s hard to believe he might be alive”, Babu said, choking up. The Rana Plaza tragedy triggered global outrage and put pressure on European and USA clothing brands to improve pay and conditions at the factories that supply them.
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The five-story factory in Tongi, north of the Dhaka, is owned Tampaco Foils Ltd., which provides products to companies such as H&M, Wal-Mart, British American Tobacco, and Nestle. Western brands subsequently improved safety standards and inspections for suppliers, dramatically reducing incidents of fire and other accidents at export-orientated factories.
