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Fire breaks out at Bangladesh garments factory, casualties unknown


    DHAKA (Reuters) - A fire broke out at garment factory in the Bangladeshi capital on Thursday, police and fire-fighting officials said, but it was not immediately clear if anyone was inside the building at the time.

    Fire-fighters were trying to put out the blaze with the help of police and volunteers, officials said.

    Garments are a vital sector for the South Asian nation, whose low wages and duty-free access to Western markets have helped make it the world's largest apparel exporter after China.

    But a series of deadly incidents, including a building collapse that killed more than 1,100 people last April, has sparked global concern over weak safety standards in the $22 billion industry.

    (Reporting By Serajul Quadir; Editing by Nick Macfie)