At least 27 killed, 100 injured in Bangladesh factory fire

[News_Editor]

At least 27 killed, 100 injured in Bangladesh factory fire

2010-12-14 23:53:24 GMT+7 (ICT)

DHAKA, BANGLADESH (BNO NEWS) -- At least 27 people were killed on Tuesday and over 100 others were injured when a fire broke out at a factory near Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, local media reported.

Some 6,000 people were at the factory when the blaze broke out, although many were luckily not inside as it happened during lunch time.

Firefighters ran out of water which severely hampered the efforts to put out the flames that razed a garment unit owned by the Ha-Meen group in Ashulia, a suburban area near Dhaka.

Water-carrying vehicles were later sent to the area to assist with the firefighting efforts and with backup from six stations including Ashulia, Savar, Tongi, Mirpur and Dhamra, they were able to douse the fire.

The official death toll was placed at 27 while more than 100 people were reported to be injured in the blaze, but a search for more victims is continuing. The conditions of those injured was not immediately available.

Many of the victims died as they were trapped inside the factory while firefighters were struggling to control the flames. Others, trapped in plumes of smoke and unable to breath, jumped to their deaths to escape from one of the country's worst fire accidents in recent years.

Preliminary reports indicate that the fire may have been caused by an electric short-circuit on the ninth or tenth floor. The government has meanwhile formed a committee to investigate the incident and has ordered it to submit a report within seven days.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2010-12-14