A fire swept through a Tung Hai Group clothing factory in Bangladesh late Wednesday, killing at least 7 people. Fire service official Bhazan Sarker says the factory in the Mirpur industrial district of Dhaka was closed and no workers were present when the blaze started around 11 p.m. local time on the third floor of the 11 story building. The cause remains unknown.
"It is not clear to us how the accident happened, but we are trying to find out the cause," said Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) president Mohammad Atiqul Islam.
Fire official Mahbubur Rahman said the fire did not destroy the entire building. "It was a big fire but we managed to confine it on one floor," he told AFP.
Authorities say the factory owner, a senior police officer and 5 of the factor owner's friends and personal staff were killed. Tung Hai Group is one of the largest garment exporters in Bangladesh.
The fire comes two weeks after the collapse of the 8 story Rana Plaza building in Savar, an area outside Dhaka. The building housed about 300 stores, 5 garment factories and a bank. More than 2,000 people were inside the building when it collapsed. Earlier today Bangladesh officials revealed the death toll has risen to 912.
Read more about the Rana Plaza collapse
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