Injured workers of Radiant Sweater Factory at Board Bazar in Gazipur Sadar Upazila said the panic was triggered by a sudden blast of an electric light bulb at around 8:00pm on the seventh floor of the eight-storey factory building.

The casualties were due to the sudden onrush of some 2,000 workers on the seventh floor to come down a narrow staircase, they said.

According to local police, the dead are Rafiza Khatun, 35, wife of Abdul Zalil of Chandpur village under Phulpur Upazila of Mymensingh, Lucky Akhtar, 25, daughter of Alamgir Hossain of Dewanganj Upazila of Jamalpur, and Rahima Khatun, 20, daughter of Abdul Mannan of Ghatail of Tangail.

Lucky and Rahima died on way to hospital and Rafiza died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).

Locals rescued the injured, majority of them women. Of them, six were admitted to the DMCH and the rest to various local hospitals and clinics.

The management staffs of the factory have been on the run since the incident. A general diary (GD No. 372) was filed with Joydevpur Police Station in this connection.

BDNEWS adds: There are allegations against the owners of the sweater factory for the tragic accident. The injured workers alleged that the officials rang the emergency siren without any confirmation of fire. Moreover the factory officials informed the police late, they added.

The factory Production Manager Jillur Rahman said the bodies were handed over to the relatives of the deceased after autopsies.

The 22 injured admitted to different hospitals are: Neela, 23, Khairul, 25, Mariam, 22, Bedena, 18, Shipra, 22, Nazma, 22, Razia. 18, Rawshan Ara, 20, Rawshan, 22, Nazma, 18, Aleya, 19, Runa, 16, Shefali, 19, Rozina, 20, Imran, 22, Badsha, 28, Billal, 25, Fazlu, 23, Bulbul, 20, Habib, 20, Mofazzal, 22, and Ripon, 23.