A boiler explosion at a factory in Bangladesh killed at least ten people, injured dozens more and led to a partial collapse of the factory. The explosion was so powerful it destroyed parts of the factory, including a roof and several walls.

The factory is owned by textiles manufacturer Multifabs, which makes clothing for mostly European brands.

The boiler explosion shows the danger of poorly maintained and uninspected boilers in the garment industry in Bangladesh. Fire separation alone is an insufficient measure, since, as in this disaster, the explosion of a defective boiler can be powerful enough to breach the walls of the room in which it is contained, spreading fire and/or causing structural damage.

The only way to fully protect against the possibility of a boiler explosion is to ensure the integrity of the boiler.

Bangladesh has more than 4,500 garment factories employing four million mostly female workers at a minimum monthly wage. The industry is notorious for poor workplace safety, with many of the factories lacking basic equipment such as ventilation and air coolers.

The country and international buyers have been trying to improve working conditions in the garment sector, which adds about 29 billion dollars in terms of exports to the country's economy.