Overseer allegedly locked workers in burning factory

[Union Scribe]

From the Institute for Global Labour and Human Rights

It was 6:30 p.m. on Saturday when the fire started on the ground floor, and it quickly spread to the upper floors. About 1,800 workers were trapped. Some men from the finishing section started to go downstairs to flee the factory. They were burned but escaped death. Our production manager, Mr. Monju, pulled down the collapsible gate on the third floor, forcing us to continue working. We pleaded with him to let us out, but Mr. Monju assured us that nothing was wrong and we should keep working. He told us not to listen to any rumors. He said again, ‘Nothing has happened, just keep working.’

“We smelled the fumes and saw the flames coming from the ground floor of the factory. There is no emergency exit in the factory. Some of the finishing section workers managed to escape, but the sewing section workers were trapped inside since the production manager would not allow us to leave the factory and demanded we keep working.

The eyewitness's full harrowing account is at the site http://www.globallabourrights.org/alerts?id=0401

The workers are also saying that the death toll is higher than the government is reporting, and that perhaps twice as many workers died than has been revealed.

[Teamster Jeff]

1. That is sickening nt