At least around two hundred garment workers were injured while attempting to evacuate a factory in panic during an earthquake in Tongi. The incident took place at Fashion Pulse Limited, located in the BSCIC industrial area of Tongi, at around 10:38 am on Friday (21 November), coinciding with the tremors.
Earlier that morning, an earthquake was felt across Dhaka and several other parts of Bangladesh. According to official data, the quake measured 5.7 on the Richter scale. As the tremors began, panic spread rapidly among workers inside the factory. Thousands of workers attempted to leave the building at the same time, leading to chaos and injuries.
Workers alleged that the situation worsened because the factory’s emergency exit gate was closed, causing many to be trampled during the rush. The factory, which has nine floors, was reportedly operating despite it being the weekly holiday. As workers from all floors tried to exit simultaneously, crowd pressure increased and several people fell and were injured.
Rescue efforts were launched immediately, and the injured workers were taken to Shaheed Ahsan Ullah Master General Hospital in Tongi, as well as nearby private hospitals and clinics. Hospital sources said that most of the injured suffered from minor to moderate injuries, including bruises, fractures and head trauma. No deaths have been reported so far.
Dr Israt Jahan Annie, an emergency department physician at Shaheed Ahsan Ullah Master General Hospital, said that within minutes of the earthquake, several hundred factory workers arrived seeking treatment. She added that medical teams provided immediate first aid, and patients are still coming in. One critically injured worker was referred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment.
Despite repeated attempts, no officials from Fashion Pulse Limited agreed to comment on the incident. The event has raised serious concerns about workplace safety, emergency preparedness and the enforcement of evacuation protocols in garment factories, particularly during unexpected disasters such as earthquakes.
GLIVE/TSN