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Bangladesh factory fire: At least 15 killed in Tongi Bangladesh factory fire: At least 20 killed in Tongi
(about 3 hours later)
At least 15 people have been killed and more than 70 people injured in a huge fire that broke out at a packaging factory in Bangladesh. At least 20 people have been killed in a huge fire that broke out at a packaging factory in Bangladesh.
Police said about 100 people were working in the four-storey building in the town of Tongi, just north of the capital Dhaka, at the time. A further 70 people are reported to have been injured in the blaze at an industrial complex in Tongi, north of the capital Dhaka.
The blast was caused by a boiler explosion, and flames quickly spread throughout the building, officials say. Police said about 100 people were in the four-storey building at the time, including machine operators and guards.
The fire is not yet under control, the emergency services say. The blast was caused by an explosion in the boiler room, at the start of the working day, officials say.
"The death toll has risen to 15 and at least 70 people have been injured," Parvez Mia, a doctor at the town's hospital, told the AFP news agency. Firefighters are struggling to bring the blaze under control.
"Most of them had burn injuries. We sent the critically injured victims to the hospitals in Dhaka." Local fire and civil defence chief Anis Ahamed said there were now 20 fire trucks working to extinguish the fire.
Factory fires are common in Bangladesh, where safety conditions are often poor. "We have removed eight bodies to the hospital and are trying to retrieve a further two. Once the fire is out we will be able to enter the damaged structure to see if there are more bodies," he said.
Relatives have been gathering outside the local hospital for news.
One man, Wridoy Barua, said he was looking for his brother. "I haven't heard from him since this morning. There is no news of him."
Low-cost manufacturing is a mainstay of Bangladesh's economy, but a series of industrial disasters in recent years have raised concerns about safety standards, the BBC's South Asia Editor Jill McGivering reports.
Tighter controls have been introduced, but dozens of workers still die every year, she notes.
Bangladesh factories: 'About 40% have major safety issues'Bangladesh factories: 'About 40% have major safety issues'
Can Bangladesh safety accord bring change?Can Bangladesh safety accord bring change?
At least 13 people died in a fire at a plastics factory Dhaka last year.At least 13 people died in a fire at a plastics factory Dhaka last year.
In 2012, 112 workers died in a fire at a factory just outside the capital.In 2012, 112 workers died in a fire at a factory just outside the capital.
The country suffered an even greater tragedy in 2013 when the Rana Plaza garment complex collapsed on the outskirts of Dhaka, killing 1,135 people.The country suffered an even greater tragedy in 2013 when the Rana Plaza garment complex collapsed on the outskirts of Dhaka, killing 1,135 people.