Comrade Samuel
15th September 2012, 14:40
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/sep/14/karachi-factory-fire-pakistan-health-safety?mobile-redirect=false
The facts of the Karachi fire are nightmarish. After the Karachi blaze started, workers were said to be unable to escape because the doors were locked. It is thought that this was to prevent them from leaving their shifts early, though it has also been speculated that it was because of a recent break-in. Allegedly, there was no emergency exit, with other doors blocked by piles of finished clothes, workers had to smash iron bars on the windows to jump several storeys to escape the flames, and unsafe chemicals in the rickety building made the smoke even more toxic. While the cause of the fire has not been confirmed, it has been blamed on faulty wiring. The owner of the factory looks to have gone into hiding. Although Pakistan's constitution guarantees the right to secure and humane working conditions, these twin tragedies have shown this right is meaningless. Ministers have been queuing up to offer their condolences and condemnation, with President Asif Ali Zardari announcing an investigation, and murder charges being filed against the factory owners for their "utter negligence".
So am I the only one who doubts the break-in theory?
The facts of the Karachi fire are nightmarish. After the Karachi blaze started, workers were said to be unable to escape because the doors were locked. It is thought that this was to prevent them from leaving their shifts early, though it has also been speculated that it was because of a recent break-in. Allegedly, there was no emergency exit, with other doors blocked by piles of finished clothes, workers had to smash iron bars on the windows to jump several storeys to escape the flames, and unsafe chemicals in the rickety building made the smoke even more toxic. While the cause of the fire has not been confirmed, it has been blamed on faulty wiring. The owner of the factory looks to have gone into hiding. Although Pakistan's constitution guarantees the right to secure and humane working conditions, these twin tragedies have shown this right is meaningless. Ministers have been queuing up to offer their condolences and condemnation, with President Asif Ali Zardari announcing an investigation, and murder charges being filed against the factory owners for their "utter negligence".
So am I the only one who doubts the break-in theory?