Bangaldesh fire tragedy toll may go up, 11 missing

From Anisur Rahman Dhaka, Sep 11 (PTI) The death toll in the fire tragedy ata Bangladeshi factory that claimed at least 25 lives may go upwith authorities today listing 11 people missing in the latestindustrial accident to hit the country. The fire yesterday broke out following a powerful boilerexplosion at the four-storey Tempako Packaging Factory inTongi industrial area, north of the capital Dhaka. Eleven people still remained missing based on informationfrom their relatives, said Fatema-Tuz-Zohra, an official ofthe control room that the Gazipur administration has opened. About 100 people were inside the food and cigarettepackaging unit when the explosion occurred and the fire spreadquickly because of flammable chemicals stored in the building. More than 24 hours after the tragedy, several relatives ofthe people missing in the accident gathered in front of theunit part of which was reduced to ashes yesterday. Industrious Minister Amir Hossain Amu said that Bangladeshgovernment will take strong action against anyone found guiltyof negligence. "The matter is being investigated and steps will be takenif anyone is found guilty," Amu told reporters after visitingthe site today. He said his ministry has decided to launch aninvestigation in all factories to check out their equipment. "We have instructed to check for leakages, electricalmalfunction and the boilers." Low-cost manufacturing is the mainstay in Bangladesh, oneof the world’s top garment exporters with a USD 27-billionindustry. But a series of industrial disasters in recent yearshave raised questions about its safety standards. Tighter controls have been introduced, but dozens ofworkers still die every year. At least 13 people died in a fire at a plastic factory inDhaka last year. In 2012, 112 workers died in a fire at afactory just outside the capital. The country suffered an even greater tragedy in 2013 whenthe Rana Plaza garment complex collapsed on the outskirts ofDhaka, killing 1,135 people, after another clothing factorybuilding collapsed, trapping over 3,000 workers. PTI ABH AKJABH