An alleged boiler explosion at a factory in Tongi BSCIC industrial area of Gazipur has led to the biggest industrial disaster in Bangladesh since the Rana Plaza incident. More than a hundred workers were working at the factory when the explosion shook the entire area and engulfed the plastic packaging factory in fire. So far, 24 people have reportedly been confirmed to have died, with more than 70 people having sustained injuries. Our heart goes out to the victims and their families.

Many of the trapped workers were seen to be screaming for help, but the huge flames, prevented people outside from getting anywhere near the building. At least 20 fire fighting units tried to douse the flames, but given that there were chemical filled drums mostly kept on the ground floor of the factory, the task was not an easy one. Meanwhile, according to local television channel reports, parts of the four-story building had collapsed because of the impact of the boiler explosion or after the fire had broke out.

All of this once again begs the question as to how serious the authorities really are in terms of ensuring worker safety at workplaces. Questions as to what safety measures were there at the factory must be asked. And if the necessary safety measures were, indeed, in place, why such high number of casualties? Factory fires are not new and the management is supposed to take decisive measures to prepare for such incidents.

The incident is another tragic lesson for the country. No amount of worker safety should ever be compromised as the price paid for such negligence is paid in human lives. We hope the authorities will launch a thorough investigation into the incident and that such horrible incidents are avoided by implementing stricter safety measures and proper fire drills at all workplaces.