Bangladesh fire: Wal-Mart cuts ties with supplier after garments found in ashes
A Bangladeshi soldier walks through rows of burnt sewing machines after a fire in the nine-storey Tazreen Fashion plant near Dhaka on November 25, 2012.
Wal-Mart has apparently cut ties with one of its suppliers after its garments were found in debris from the fire at Bangladesh's Tazreen Fashions factory, the Nation wrote.
Wal-Mart said that it was “trying to determine if the factory has a current relationship with Walmart or one of our suppliers… [and was] working across the apparel industry to improve fire safety education and training in Bangladesh," the Nation said.
Bangladesh authorities described the fire that killed 112 garment workers over the weekend — the largest in the local industry's history — as the result of sabotage, according to Reuters.
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On Tuesday, which was declared national day of mourning, demonstrators took to the streets for a second day to demand better working standards and justice for those killed, the New York Times reported. Factories across the country were closed, Reuters said.
In addition to Saturday's blaze, two other blazes have broken out in as many days, according to Reuters.
GlobalPost reported earlier this year on concern among many US importers over working conditions in Bangladesh. Despite abysmal safety records at many factories, however, "the factories contribute a huge percentage of the country's GDP, and directly or indirectly employ 24 million people," reporter Alex Pearlman wrote.
Quartz has previously written about the link between Tazreen Fashions and big apparel retailers such as Wal-Mart.
More from GlobalPost: Bangladesh garment workers brave deadly fires to make luxury American clothing
Other global companies such as Sears said it was investigating whether its clothes were being made at the factory after reports of its logo was found in the debris. Esprit "denied any connection" to the fire, Reuters confirmed.
Meanwhile, the International Labor Rights Forum said it found evidence the factory produced Walmart’s Faded Glory as well as clothing from "Ace, C&A, Dickies, Fashion Basics, Sean Combs Co.'s Enyce brand, Edinburgh Woollen Mill's brands P.G. field and Country Rose, Hippo, Infinity Woman, Karl Rieker GMBH & Co., Kebo Raw, Kik, Piaza Italia, Soffe, and True Desire."
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