Bangladesh garment factory blast: 10 killed, rescue operations underway

At least 10 people were killed and 50 others injured in a boiler room explosion at a garment factory in central Bangladesh. The search for more bodies in the debris continues, officials said on Tuesday.

The accident took place around 7 PM on Monday at the export-oriented textile factory Multifabs Limited, which employs nearly 6,000 people.

Most employees were on leave to celebrate the Eid-ul Fitr when the explosion occurred. "We found eight bodies on Monday and one in the morning (Tuesday) when we started removing the debris again," Gazipur Fire Service Assistant Deputy Director Akteruzzaman said.

"We are not sure if there are more bodies inside because no one could give a detailed account of any missing person," he was quoted as saying by Efe news.

Of the 50 injured, one person later died in the hospital, taking the deaths to 10, Akteruzzaman added.

"The factory was closed until Monday and we started the boiler only in the evening. One of the two boilers exploded within an hour of starting the operation in the evening," Multifabs Chairman and Managing Director Mohiuddin Faruqui said.

According to Faruqui, between 25 and 30 people were inside the factory at the time of the explosion, while many bystanders were also injured.

Gazipur district factory inspector Farid Ahmed said that the factory's licenses were all in order and that the reason for the explosion was yet unclear.

Last week, labour union organisations IndustriALL Global Union and UNI Global Union announced the signing of a new agreement with more than 20 international textile companies to ensure safety in Bangladeshi factories, among other issues.

The sector has been under the spotlight over its working conditions since the collapse of the Rana Plaza garment factory building in 2013, which left more than 1,100 dead and 2,500 others injured.