Building collapses after fire in Bangladesh

DHAKA: A building that housed a garment factory near the Bangladeshi capital collapsed Monday after fire damaged the steel-framed structure, an official said.
The top four floors of Dignity Textile Mills Ltd fell down after firefighters doused the blaze in an overnight operation, local government official Mohammad Sadequr Rahman said.
The government has launched an investigation to determine the cause of the fire.
The blaze gutted most parts of the factory building, which is located in the Gazipur industrial district, 50km north of Dhaka.
No deaths or injuries were reported in the fire.
The factory building was inspected by Accord, a group of around 200 European retailers that tries to improve safety in Bangladeshi factories, according to the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments.
Bangladeshi factories and working conditions have come under more scrutiny since the collapse of the Rana Plaza building killed more than 1,100 people in early 2013.
Fires at factory buildings are frequent in Bangladesh, which exports garment products worth more than 20 billion dollars annually to mostly in European and US markets. – dpa