Over 100 RMG workers taken ill in Tongi; factory declares holiday
On January 12, more than 50 workers from a single factory reportedly fell ill after experiencing similar symptoms.
More than a hundred garment workers from two factories in the Tongi BSCIC industrial area of Gazipur fell ill after experiencing sudden convulsions on Wednesday morning, forcing factory authorities to declare a holiday.
The incident took place around 9:00am at Garment Export Village Limited in Ma Tower on Meghna Road and Bravo Apparels Limited in nearby Alam Tower. By 10:00am, dozens of affected workers had been rushed to Tongi Shaheed Ahsan Ullah Master General Hospital.
Hospital sources said ten workers were admitted, while several others were referred to Gazipur Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Medical College Hospital and Dhaka Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment.
Roni Mia, a worker at Bravo Apparels, alleged that mosquito-repellent spray had been used inside the factories earlier in the morning. “Soon after the spraying, workers started losing consciousness one after another. Many began vomiting, and froth was seen coming from their mouths,” he said.
Dr Nahid Sultana, the on-duty physician at the emergency department of Tongi Shaheed Ahsan Ullah Master General Hospital, said the illness was likely linked to the smell of mosquito repellent. She added that after one or two workers were affected, others developed similar symptoms upon seeing them, suggesting a panic reaction.
Khorshed, an official of Bravo Apparels, said the factory was closed for the day due to the incident. Sujan Mahmud, general manager of Garment Export Village Limited, also confirmed that a holiday had been declared.
Azad Rahman, inspector (Tongi zone) of Gazipur Industrial Police-2, said workers left the factories shortly after the incident and that security personnel had been deployed in the area.
Officer-in-Charge of Tongi East Police Station Mehedi Hasan said police rushed to the spot immediately after receiving the report. “An investigation is underway, but our immediate priority is ensuring treatment for the affected workers,” he said.
Earlier, on Monday (January 12), more than 50 workers from a factory in the same area had reportedly fallen ill after experiencing similar symptoms.
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