Karachi factory blaze: Death toll rises to 289

Pakistan

Karachi factory blaze: Death toll rises to 289

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The death toll in Karachi factory blaze rise to 289, more deaths feared as rescue work is underway.

12 September,2012 09:28 am

The death toll from a factory fire that broke out in Karachis garment factory rose to 189 on Wednesday, many of whom perished because they were unable to escape buildings that lacked emergency exits and basic safety equipment such as alarms and sprinklers.Such safety issues are common in Pakistan, where many factories are set up illegally in the countrys densely populated cities, and owners often pay officials bribes to look the other way.Most of the deaths were caused by suffocation as people caught in the basement were unable to escape when it filled with smoke, said the top firefighter in Karachi, Ehtisham-ud-Din.There were no fire exits, and the doors leading out of the basement were locked, he said. Its possible the death toll could rise further because authorities suspect there may still be bodies stuck in the basement.Workers on higher floors of the five-story building struggled to make it out of windows that were covered with metal bars.Many were injured when they jumped from the building, including a 27-year-old pregnant woman who was injured in the fall.Another injured factory worker, Mohammad Ilyas, speaking from the hospital, said he was working with roughly 50 other men and women on one of the floors when suddenly a fireball came from the staircase.I jumped from my seat as did others and rushed toward the windows, but iron bars on the windows barred us from escaping. Some of us quickly took tools and machines to break the iron bars, he said. That was how we managed to jump out of the windows down to the ground floor.His leg was injured in the fall.Others werent so lucky. An Associated Press reporter saw a charred body partially hanging out one of the factorys barred windows. It appeared the victim tried to escape but couldnt make it through the bars.