What's new

236 dead in Karachi garment factory fire

289 bodies pulled out...more to come..

How the factory crammed in so many people?
Its very rare to have so many people working in one shift...
So damn sad....
 
. .
looks like most people suffocated due to toxic smoke from plastics and chemicals

once again our low life media...interviewing a woman who just lost her boy in the fire....shoving the mic up her face...
 
. .
Supervisor says there were 600-700 people inside ..
I am amazed how such a large number of people could enter and breath in such a relatively small factory...
 
. .
- Sources said around 2,000 people were employed at the 2,000 square-yard garment factory.

- In the second major fire incident in Lahore, the owner of the factory and his son were among the dead.
 
.
That is what happens when the workers have no right and there is no safety in work place. Truely sad incident. Their families lost their loved ones as well as their breadwinner.
 
.
Pakistan factory fire death toll climbs to 314

Pakistan factory fire death toll climbs to 314 | 7online.com

iafrica.com | news | world news | Pakistan fire tolls hit 310

More Than 300 People Die in 2 Pakistan Fires




A man searched for the body of a relative at a mortuary after 166 people died in a fire on Wednesday in Karachi, Pakistan.
By SALMAN MASOOD
Published: September 12, 2012





ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Over 300 people were killed when fires engulfed two factories in two major cities, renewing concerns about lax building safety measures and dismal working conditions for factory workers in Pakistan.
World Twitter Logo.
Connect With Us on Twitter

Follow @nytimesworld for international breaking news and headlines.

A Pakistani man mourned the death of relatives on Wednesday after the fire at a garment factory in Karachi.

The fires broke out Tuesday evening and swept through a shoe factory in the eastern city of Lahore and a garment factory in the southern port city of Karachi.

The fire in Karachi killed at least 289 people, according to government officials and rescue workers, who were still trying to retrieve bodies from the charred building on Wednesday.

“The death toll is expected to rise,” said Roshan Ali Sheikh, the commissioner of Karachi. “The building has developed cracks and can collapse any time.” Dozens of bodies were still believed to be trapped in the building, local media reported.

About 1,500 people worked in the factory on the outskirts of Karachi, the commercial and economic hub of the country.

Officials said panicked workers were trapped inside the multistory building, which had just one exit. All the other doors had been locked, a common practice to ensure that workers do not leave the premises before their shift ends.

The windows of the building were also blocked by metal grills. Many survivors suffered third-degree burns, rescue workers said.

“Workers, who were in the basement, died due to suffocation. All exit ways were closed,” Ehtisham-ud-din, the chief fire officer of Karachi, told reporters.

Officials said that the Tuesday evening fire at a Lahore shoe factory killed 25 people and that forensic examination showed that the fire was caused by a generator that caught fire and ignited chemicals stored nearby.

Muhammad Amjad, a witness who works at a nearby factory, said the fire suddenly erupted from the generator that was at the entrance of the building. “The door caught fire, and there was no way to come out,” he said. “It was just like an inferno all of sudden,” Mr. Amjad said. “Many people from the neighborhood tried to break the back wall of the building to help those trapped inside to get out.”

Most of the dead were believed to be young workers, men and women, between 18 and 25 years old.

Officials said the shoe factory was set up illegally and made to look like a residential house from the outside.

Omar R. Quraishi, the opinion page editor of the English daily The Express Tribune, based in Karachi, said he expected more accidents because governments and civic bodies had repeatedly failed to enforce building laws and maintenance checks.

“The startling lack of safety is quite a norm,” Mr. Quraishi said. “Builder mafias have taken over, and government officials have proved lacking in keeping a vigilant eye on illegalities and violations of all sorts.”

Waqar Gillani contributed reporting from Lahore.


http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/13/world/asia/hundreds-die-in-factory-fires-in-pakistan.html?_r=0#h[]
 
.
Expect death toll to rise.

May Allah be with all the relatives of deceased and grant them patience.
 
.
300 is a big number..there has been fire and huge loss of life in a Fireworks and one more factory here in India just a week or so back, what is needed is proper fire prevention and fighting rules and regulations
 
. .
Supervisor says there were 600-700 people inside ..
I am amazed how such a large number of people could enter and breath in such a relatively small factory...

To be read as sweatshop..

There are many more factories throughout this entire region which are little more than sardine cans for people to work in.
 
.
Omg.....may god give them peace .
However bbc reports that atleast 250 individuals have died :confused:
 
.
There was a basement as well, with absolutely no fire exits or anything. Basement trapped the people, and according to TV, Fire brigade hasn't gone to basement yet because they are worried it might collapse.

This is a very serious situation, and a big big tragedy.
 
.

Latest posts

Pakistan Affairs Latest Posts

Back
Top Bottom