A fire broke out in a 6-storey Bangladeshi factory in the town of Rupganj, resulting in at least 52 deaths along with over 50 injuries. Fueled by chemicals and plastics stored in the food and drink factory, the blaze took firefighters almost 24 hours to extinguish. Local police spokespeople say that they have detained Abul Hashem, the owner of the Hashem Foods factory that caught fire, alongside 4 of his sons and 3 others. Authorities say that they face murder charges and are also being investigated for the use of child labor as children were among the victims of the fire. While the cause of the fire is still under investigation, prior to his arrest, Mr. Hashem told local media outlets that the fire could have been started by "workers' carelessness" such as discarded cigarettes, though this cannot be proven until after investigations.

Investigators and police say that the fire initially broke out at night on the ground floor of the factory though most of the victims were trapped on the third floor. Fire officials say that although each floor was accessible by 2 stairways, some workers could not reach the stairs since they were cut off by the fire. While some people managed to escape to the factory's roof and were rescued, others were trapped inside as a door leading to the roof was locked. The murder charges were brought up because authorities say that many of those who perished were trapped as a main exit was locked.

Meanwhile, Bangladeshi labor minister Monnujan Sufian said that she had visited hospitals taking care of the injured, and spoke to survivors as young as 14. She said that "If child labor is proved, we will take action against the owner and the inspectors". Survivors and families also told local media outlets that child workers at the factory were paid 20 taka per hour (Equivalent to about 24 US cents per hour).

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