Around fifty female workers of Arbella Fashion Limited garment factory in Sreepur of Gazipur suddenly fell ill on Wednesday afternoon allegedly for summer heat.
Ahmed Sagar, officer of Human Resources department at the Arbella Fashion Factory, said it was not clear what actually caused the workers to fall ill. “However, it is believed that the workers became sick due to excessive heat.”
They were treated at Sreepur Upazila Health Complex, he said, adding that more than 350 workers were employed at the garment factory.
Sathi Akhter, 24, said that, while she was working, she saw another worker Nasrin Akhter, 25, becoming unconscious.
“Before she could do anything, she also fainted. She woke up and found herself at Sreepur Upazila Health Complex,” she added.
Another worker, Rimi Akhter, 22, saw her fellow workers fainting while others pouring water on them to bring back their consciousness.
“In the meantime, she also lost consciousness and later woke up at a clinic,” she mentioned.
Makbull Hossain, a resident of the factory area, said the sky was a bit cloudy and the weather was very hot around noon when the female workers began falling sick.
Sreepur Upazila Health Complex Doctor Maryam said 15 women were admitted to the hospital. “However, it is not known yet why they fell ill. Some sick women said they were scared of going to the toilet.”
Officer-in-Charge of Sreepur police station Mohammad Moniruzzaman said police were sent to the factory on getting the news of the workers' illness.
The cause of the sudden illness is being investigated, he said.
