Last weekend, a suspected gas leak and boiler explosion at a factory in Bangladesh started a fire that spread quickly as a result of the chemicals stored in the plant.
Recent reports from the Tampaco Foils factory, which manufactures packaging for food and cigarettes, have the death toll as high as 33 workers, with many people still missing.
Two days ago, local police opened a murder case against the factory owner and seven top managers who have since fled from police and remain in hiding. One official stated that it could take two months to remove the debris from the factory. He even stated that the debris at the scene was greater than that at the Rana Plaza building collapse in 2013 that claimed the lives of 1,135 garment workers.
According to a Reuters report, Tampaco Foils supplies local companies and global brands, including British American Tobacco and Nestle.The incident once again sheds light on industrial safety in the South Asian country that remains one of the world's top garment exporters. Since the disaster in 2012, the Bangladesh government has worked with global brands and the United Nations to try and improve safety standards. It appears that we’re still a long way away from a suitable standard.
