At least 27 killed in boiler explosion in Bangladesh factory

Our Correspondent, Dhaka : At least 27 people were killed after a boiler exploded at a factory in the Tongi BSCIC industrial area of Gazipur, near the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka early on Saturday.

A further 50 people were injured in the ensuing fire, although local TV reports indicated that both the death toll and the number of people injured could be higher.

The identities of those killed could not be confirmed yet. About 100 people were working in the morning shift when the explosion took place at the Tampaco Foils Ltd.

The Superintendent of Gazipur police, Harun-ur Rashid confirmed the death toll in the incident, the biggest industrial disaster since 2013 when the Rana Plaza building collapsed.

The accident occurred at the five-story factory for Tampaco Foils Ltd., which, according to its website, provides packaging materials for food and drink products for companies including Swiss global foods giant Nestle, world’s Leading tobacco company British American Tobacco, Giant Bangladeshi Brand PRAN and lot of other local and international brand.

A large number of workers were in the plant at the time as the night shift was handing over to the early morning shift. The plant runs three, eight-hour shifts each day.

The government of Bangladesh  has announced cash assistance for families of those who died in a fire at a packaging factory at Gazipur’s Tongi. State Minster for Labour and Employment Mujibul Haque Chunnu told that the families will get Tk 200,000 each.