ASHULIA, Bangladesh: A raging fire Tuesday tore through a huge garment factory that makes clothes for Western shops including Gap, killing at least 25 workers and injuring 100 more. Many of the dead were killed after they jumped from the building in a desperate attempt to escape the inferno, police and witnesses said, while workers said some exit doors were locked. The multi-story plant in the industrial hub of Ashulia, 25 km north of the capital Dhaka, is owned by one of the country's largest exporters, Hameem Group. Local journalist Rafiqul Islam said he saw at least 25 bodies being loaded onto ambulances. One eyewitness, Rezaul Karim, told a local news agency that the fire spread so fast it was like an explosion. “There was an enormous blaze. It happened so quickly, everyone rushed to the side of the building to jump off. At least 100 people were injured, many seriously,” he said. – Agence France
