Page 10 - aruba-today-20200213

A10 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 13 February 2020
Burned India denim factory had single door reached by ladder

By SHEIKH SAALIQ and multiple regulations and signments, stitching more ing conditions in the textile Joe Fresh, the fashion
MARTHA MENDOZA the owner, a manager and than 400 pieces of gar- factories across the city are brand created for Cana-
Associated Press Writers a fire safety officer have ments a day. This forced grim, with rare inspections da's Loblaw Companies
NEW DELHI (AP) — Shouting been arrested. many of them, mostly and few safety norms. Ltd., said Nandan is not a
and crying, workers in an Local safety and health au- women, to work at a frantic "These incidents are ir- supplier and doesn't make
Indian denim factory strug- their goods.
gled to claw their way up a But company officials said
ladder to a door, their only they believe one of their
exit as a fire blazed through approved suppliers has
fabric and machinery, of- purchased bulk quantities
ficials said. Seven people of denim from Nandan,
died in the weekend blaze, and they are further inves-
and families were still wait- tigating. Target and others
ing Wednesday to recover did not respond to queries
their relatives' bodies. about whether their autho-
"Smoke kept billowing from rized suppliers may have
the building as workers purchased denim from
trapped inside screamed Nandan.
for help," said a witness Zara's parent company, In-
who spoke on condition ditex, said Nandan Denim
of anonymity because he has produced 10,000 pairs
was worried he'd lose his of jeans for another of its
job. brands, Lefties.
The factory where the fire Nandan Denim's sister
occurred, Nandan Denim, company, Nandan Terry,
has ties to major U.S. retail- supplies towels and linens
ers, according to its web- to many U.S. stores includ-
site. Nandan says it supplies ing Walmart and H&M,
jeans, denim and other according to ImportGen-
garments to more than 20 ius shipping records. Those
global brands including corporations said they
U.S. companies such as would also look into the
Target, Ann Taylor, Mango situation.
and Wrangler, and its sister Kontoor Brands, maker of
company supplies Walmart Wrangler jeans, said they
and H&M. last worked with the factory
Some of the U.S. and mul- in 2014.
tinational companies listed This Saturday, Feb. 8, 2020 photo, shows the damage after a fire broke out at Nandan Denim, one "Our thoughts are with the
on the website said they of the largest denim suppliers in the world, in Ahmedabad, India. workers and their families
were not actually custom- Associated Press impacted by the tragic
ers, and many issued state- situation," Kontoor said in a
ments that strongly con- thorities asked the compa- pace, often forgoing meal reversible and only strict statement.
demned dangerous work ny to close until further no- breaks or using the toilet, monitoring by the govern- Nandan Denim reported
sites. Nandan Denim is one tice. Its licenses have been survivors said. ment and its agencies can revenues of $218 million last
of the largest denim suppli- suspended, and Nandan One victim, Dayabhai help prevent such disas- year, and says it exports
ers in the world. Denim has agreed to pay Makwana, made it out ters," Barot said. to more than 20 countries
The fire broke out Satur- the families of those killed a alive, but went back in to He also said labor unions and has more than 4,500
day in its two-story factory reported $14,000 each. rescue co-workers and per- across the region have employees. Shares of the
on the outskirts of Ahmed- Purvee, a factory spokes- ished. been declining over the company were tumbling
abad, a fast-growing city woman who goes by only "I wish he hadn't gone back last few decades, making after news of the fire.
of 8.6 million in western one name, did not explain to save his colleagues," it difficult for the voices of Scott Nova, executive
Gujarat state. The city's how it started but called said his grieving brother, workers to be heard. director of Washington-
industrial area, once cov- the fire "unfortunate." Fac- Dhanabai Makwana. He Some of the major brands based Workers Rights Con-
ered with mountains of tory officials would not said more than 30 workers contacted, including Ann sortium, said, "It does not
garbage, has slowly shift- comment on whether they were in the factory at the Taylor, Target, Zara and cost much to put fire exits
ed into a hub for factories had undergone required time of the blaze. Pull&Bear, said they are not in a textile factory."
that make clothes sold to audits and reviews. Sobbing families were still customers and don't have "Brands and retailers are
brands across the world. Surviving workers, who are waiting Wednesday out- a relationship with Nandan well aware of the safety
Rajesh Bhatt, a senior fire paid about 35 cents per side one of the city's hos- Denim. risks in the garment and
official at the scene, said hour, said conditions had pital mortuaries to iden- Target said it is working to textile industry in India, yet
the factory had just one been dangerous. tify bodies charred beyond get its name off their web- they choose to do business
door that could only be "We work almost 14 hours recognition. They were told site and out of their annual with unsafe suppliers," he
reached by climbing a a day. But do we have an DNA confirmation would reports. said. "The result is that work-
steep ladder. The workers, option?" said Vimalbhai, a not come before Friday. Because thread, fabric cut- ers are losing their lives in
Bhatt said, were resting af- textile worker who goes by "We can't even mourn our ting, weaving and sewing factory disasters that could
ter long shifts when the fire one name. "Every once a dead because we don't can be done in different easily have been prevent-
started. while there is a fire in some know which one is ours," locations, apparel supply ed."
"There were hardly any factory or the other. No- said Mahesh Patel, whose chains can be complicat- Forty-three people died
means of escape from the body cares and we keep nephew lost his life in the ed and it becomes nearly in a December fire at a
blaze," he said. on working." blaze. impossible to track a spe- factory which produced
Police investigators said Some workers said they Amar Barot of the Textile La- cific item to a specific fac- handbags, caps and other
the factory had violated were given impossible as- bour Association said work- tory. garments in New Delhi.q