As thousands of protesters gathered to demand justice for more than 100 factory workers who were killed in a fire in Bangladesh on Saturday, another blaze broke out at a clothing factory in the suburb of Uttara. No deaths were reported in Monday’s fire, but at least 10 people sustained injuries from jumping out of windows.
Local authorities said the fire started on the second floor of the 10-story factory. The blaze consumed the third and fourth floor before firefighters gained control. "Firefighters have brought the flames under control and no one died in the incident," said Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defense Brigadier Gen. Abu Nayeem Mohammad Shahidullah.
The fire came just two days after 112 workers died when a fire trapped them inside the Tazreen Fashion factory in Ashulia. The AP reports factory bosses ordered workers to continue sewing after the fire alarm went off Saturday morning. Fire extinguishers inside the building failed to work and at least one exit was locked.
Fire department official Mohammad Mahbub said it appears a short circuit started the fire. An investigation is ongoing.
Protests on Monday shutdown roads and closed at least 200 factories. Dhaka District Police Superintendent Habibur Rahman told CNN the demonstration was relatively peaceful. "We deployed huge contingents of police, and no violent incidents happened there," he said.
The Bangladesh government declared Tuesday a day of mourning for the dead. All clothing factories will be closed.
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