Bangladesh factory fire kills 25

DHAKA, Bangladesh - a devastating blaze was driving through a garment factory in the vicinity of Bangladesh's capital, killed at least 25 people and injured more than 100 said witnesses and news reports on Tuesday.

A worker from Bangladesh who is injured carried on a stretcher by colleagues during a fire in a garment unit of Hameem group in Savar, Bangladesh.

Fire official Golam Mostafa said the fire started huge Hameem Ashulia industrial zone, just outside Dhaka group in a 10-story factory owned by local businesses. It was not immediately clear what caused the blaze and the Government ordered an investigation. While it has been held for an accident, some believed it could be arson.

Interior Minister Shah River Katun said after visiting the site to examine her Ministry would be whether it was related to recent violent protests in textile factories on wages.

Monir Hossain, a local journalist at the scene, said the blaze broke on the two upper floors during a lunch break. A port on a staircase was blocked and people in the factory that produces mainly T-Shirts for international brands caught citing witness. An other journalist Rafiqul Islam, said he saw at least 25 posts on ambulance is loaded.

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The privately owned radio Diganta reported television at least 26 people were killed and more than 100 injured. Rescuers said at least 24 institutions ATN news restored. Soldiers and policemen cordoned off as firefighters your search further.

Mr. Islam said about 13,000 people in the factory work every day, even though most were outside purchase lunch when the fire started. Officials predicted the number of deaths would increase, he said.

The company and the Bangladesh garment manufacturers and exporters announced would provide 100,000 takas ($ keep) compensation families of the dead and would pay for the treatment of the injured party. Safety of workers in the fast-growing textile industry is important, but it has improved in recent years, the Association said.

However, labor rights groups safety standards in many factories are still insufficient. In February a fire in a sweater factory just outside Dhaka killed 21 people and injured dozens.

Bangladesh has about 4,000 garment factories to export more than $10 billion value of products a year, mainly in the USA and Europe. Customers include Wal-Mart, Tesco, H & M, Zara, Carrefour, Cap Metro, JCPenney, marks and Spencer, Kohl's, Levi Strauss and Tommy Hilfiger.

Recent protest by garment low wage workers have taken it. Workers calls for the implementation of a new minimum wage leave up to three people were injured with police in an industrial area in southeastern of Bangladesh Sunday, dead and 100. Authorities opened fire and tear gas used after thousands of workers attacked factories and vehicles in the Chittagong smash export processing zone. Zone - 135 miles (215 km) southeast of Dhaka - houses approximately 70 foreign companies, mainly finished garments, shoes and bicycles, and 150,000 employees.

Smaller protests have taken place to Dhaka. Workers in the capital set blocks a busy road and two vehicles on fire, who police said Sunday.

Garment workers in Bangladesh are among the lowest paid in the world, according to the International Trade Union Confederation, a Vienna-based labor rights group. In the first wage increase since 2006 the Government raised in July of the official minimum wage to 3,000 takas ($45) per month from 1,662 takas ($25). The new pay structure entered into force in November, but workers say many factories have not yet implemented.

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