13 Dead in Bangladesh Factory Fire

At least 13 people are dead and many more are injured as a result of a factory fire in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The five-story plastics factory caught fire on Saturday, Jan. 31, according to CNN.

CNN reported that the fire started on the factory’s ground floor and spread quickly, fueled by chemicals in the building.

Bangladesh has been in the media spotlight in recent years, after a factory fire in November 2012 resulted in more than 100 deaths, and a building collapse months later resulted in 1,127 deaths. The Bangladesh government responded by increasing minimum wage, updating legislature so workers no longer need approval from their employers to form trade unions, and every factory that sells domestically is required to pledge 5 percent of profits to a workers’ welfare fund.

According to the report, many workers were injured, and there may be more deaths reported as authorities continue to search the site. It is unclear exactly how many workers were inside the factory, as CNN reported that workers who made it out estimated between 80 and 90, while The Guardian reported that it was approximately 70.

Authorities are still searching for bodies in the plastics factory. They believe more may be under debris from a collapsed wall.