Bangladesh garment factory explosion kills 10, injures 50

A boiler explosion at a garment factory in Bangladesh owned by export-oriented Multifabs Ltd. has killed 10 people and injured 50, officials said Tuesday.

Local police chief Aminul Islam said the explosion occurred Monday evening at Kashimpur in Gazipur district, outside the capital, Dhaka. By Tuesday afternoon, 10 deaths had been reported.

Islam said the search for more victims was continuing. Relatives said about six people remained missing.

The injured were being treated at hospitals, Islam said.

Authorities have ordered an investigation into the cause of the explosion.

Relatives waited outside the four-story building Tuesday for news about their loved ones as firefighters searched for victims.

The company's website says it produces about 140,000 pieces of knitted apparel a day for export.

Bangladesh has about 4,000 garment factories and is the world's second-largest producer after China. The country has improved its factory safety standards after the collapse of a complex housing five factories killed more than 1,100 people in 2013. But experts say many factories still need to upgrade their machinery and increase building safety.