On April 24, 2013, the collapse of the Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh killed 1,134 people and injured thousands more, shattering families and exposing the brutal cost of cheap clothing on the most vulnerable—especially children and young workers. Behind every statistic is a child who lost a parent, a teenager pulled from the rubble with injuries that will shape the rest of their life, and a community forced to carry trauma so that global brands could meet shipment deadlines. The stories gathered here trace what happened to child workers and the sons and daughters of garment workers after the collapse, revealing a pattern of fear, exploitation, and lifelong vulnerability that continues long after the headlines fade. By listening closely to these stories, we see that corporate responsibility is not a technical requirement but a moral line between protecting children’s futures and sacrificing them for profit.
On April 24th, 2013, 1134 people were killed and thousands more injured, after Rana Plaza, an eight-story commercial building, collapsed. The building contained six readymade garment factories, a commercial bank and various shops. The day before the collapse large structural damage was discovered in the building, but factory workers were ordered back to work. These news articles recount the horrific events of child workers and explore the harsh realities of child labourers.
9 years of Rana Plaza tragedy: Victims’ children find shelter, purpose at Orca Homes.
Dhaka Tribune
Some children whose parents either died or were severely injured in the 2013 Rana Plaza disaster find hope for a prosperous future with the help of a local shelter, serving as a school, library and playground. This article recounts the sad stories of children who came to the shelter as young as 5, 7 and 9 years old. One story retold was of a now 14-year-old boy who lost his mother in the collapse and had lost his father in his earlier childhood. On the day of the collapse, he took lunch to his mom at a factory in Rana Plaza, went home and not 5 mins later was notified by a neighbour that Rana Plaza had collapsed. It took 2 days to find his mother and at 9 years old, he had to identify the remains of his mother.
‘A nightmare I couldn’t wake up from’: half of Rana Plaza survivors unable to work 10 years after disaster.
The Guardian.
This article recounts the horrific events of the Rana Plaza disaster and how victims and their families were affected. One young woman, who was just 14 years old at the time of the collapse, recounts spending three hours trapped under the rubble of Rana Plaza. She now suffers with a lung injury that makes it difficult to breath and struggles with anxiety. A mother recounts having to spend 16 days searching for someone who would recognize her 18-year-old son. This article states that the day before the collapse workers were evacuated due to health and safety concerns. Many workers were reluctant enter but stated that they were threatened that if they did not enter, they would not be paid that month’s wage
Bangladesh’s Rana Plaza tragedy lives on for the child workers who survived.
ConfiniOnline.
This article recounts the events of the Rana Plaza collapse from the perspective of a then 13-year-old child labourer victim and the person who rescued her. The article reveals that that child labourers were beaten, threatened and forced to work 14 hour days without any breaks. It also reveals that child labourers were forced to hide when buyers and inspectors visited.
https://www.confinionline.it/detail.aspx?prog=53840
Endless Misery of Nimble Fingers: The Rana Plaza Disaster.
Shamima Akhter, Asian Center for Women’s Studies, 2014.
This paper explores how the realities of women garment workers in Bangladesh has not changed much since the rise of Bangladesh’s ready made garment industry. The paper argues that disasters, such as the Rana Plaza collapse, is illustrative of the uncertain future and lifelong trauma women garment workers face. It states that 80% of the workers in Bangladesh’s garment factories are women, particularly aged 15-30 years old. Some argue that the ready-made garment industry empowers women and girls to be financially independent, but other experts argue that a patriarchal structure within the family or community changes little. In addition, women and girls face little to no bargaining power, gendered wage segregation and sexual harassment in the workplace that makes their lives and success more insecure. The paper explores the stories of two workers where were severely injured in the Rana Plaza collapse.
https://adpc.net/igo/category/ID596/doc/2014-pul8Ob-ADPC-ADPC_paper_on_women.pdf
If these stories of Rana Plaza, children, and corporate responsibility move you, let them also move you to act. Share this post with someone who buys fast fashion, ask at least one brand what they are doing to prevent another Rana Plaza, and talk with your community about how our choices connect to the safety of children we will never meet. Then, keep learning: use KARA’s resources on child abuse and child protection, and consider how you, your school, your faith community, or your workplace can support policies and practices that put children’s lives ahead of corporate convenience.
More stories like this in the READ MORE
The examples below show that Rana Plaza was not an isolated failure. Since 2013, corporate and industrial negligence has continued to kill and harm children whether as underage workers locked into factories, or as sons and daughters living in communities turned into ‘sacrifice zones’.
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2021 – Hashem Foods factory fire, Narayanganj, Bangladesh
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A massive fire at Hashem Food and Beverage, a juice and snacks factory, killed at least 52 workers.businessinsider+1
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Reports from officials and UNICEF indicate that up to 16 children died, some as young as 11, working illegally in the plant.businessinsider+1
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Exits, including a main gate, were allegedly padlocked, and the factory lacked proper authorization and basic fire‑safety measures; the owner and several managers were arrested and charged with murder.businessinsider+1
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Good summary and background:
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Business Insider / Bangladesh factory owner arrested after fire kills 52, including childrenbusinessinsider
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DW – July 2021: Child workers die in factory fire (Hashem Foods segment)dw
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The Diplomat – Factory fire reveals Bangladesh’s child labor problemthediplomat
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BenarNews – More Than a Dozen Children Feared Dead in Factory Fire near Dhakabenarnews
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2019 – Chawkbazar chemical warehouse fire, Dhaka, Bangladesh
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A massive blaze started in a residential/commercial area where flammable chemicals were being illegally stored in a warehouse, then spread through crowded buildings in Chawkbazar, killing at least 70 people.dw
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The fire tore through multi‑storey buildings at night in a densely populated neighborhood where families, including children, were sleeping above or near the illegal chemical stockpiles.dw
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Human rights and safety advocates have repeatedly cited weak enforcement of building and fire codes and corporate disregard for safe chemical storage in residential areas.dw
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Overview: DW – 2019: Warehouse, factory blazes kill more than 100dw
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2019 – Other Bangladesh warehouse and office fires (Dhaka high‑rise blaze, etc.)
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In 2019 alone, a series of industrial and commercial fires in Bangladesh killed almost 100 people, many in mixed‑use buildings that violated safety rules.dw
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These included a 22‑storey office block in Dhaka and another large market fire that destroyed livelihoods; families with children lived and worked in these spaces, and children are reported among the dead and injured in some accounts.dw
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Again, investigators cited illegal storage of hazardous materials, insufficient exits, and systemic neglect of building safety standards.dw
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Summary: same DW analysis above.dw
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Ongoing – Post‑Rana Plaza factory and warehouse fires across Bangladesh
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Since 2013, Bangladesh has seen over 1,300 deaths in repeated building and industrial fires, many in factories, depots, and mixed‑use buildings.dw
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Civil society and UN agencies note that children are part of the workforce in many sectors and live near these hazardous sites, so they feature among both worker and bystander victims.businessinsider+1
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Beyond Rana Plaza: Recent Factory and Fire Disasters in Bangladesh Affecting Children.
B. Broader list: 10 corporate/industrial disasters with clear child impact
Here is a wider set of events since 2013 where corporate or industrial negligence is strongly implicated and where children are clearly among the dead or seriously affected.thediplomat+3
Examples of post‑Rana Plaza corporate and industrial disasters in which workers, families, and children were killed and permanently harmed.”
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2019 – Other major Dhaka fires (high‑rise and market fires)
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Office‑block and market fires in Dhaka killed at least 26 people in one incident and destroyed hundreds of livelihoods in another; investigators cited unsafe buildings, poor fire exits, and improper storage.dw
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2022 – Sitakunda container depot fire and explosions, near Chittagong, Bangladesh
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2024 – Repeated urban fire tragedies in Bangladesh (cumulative)
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According to analysis in 2024, building and factory fires in Bangladesh since Rana Plaza have killed more than 1,300 people, with children often working illegally or living in the affected buildings.cleanclothes+1
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Long‑running – Bhopal gas disaster’s children and grandchildren (continuing corporate failure)
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Although Bhopal’s lethal leak occurred in 1984, Amnesty International and others report that children born long after 1984 continue to suffer birth defects, developmental issues, and contaminated water exposure because the site was never properly cleaned and corporate responsibility remains largely unmet.amnesty+1
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Amnesty describes the area as a “sacrifice zone” where 500,000 people, including new generations of children, still live with the consequences of corporate negligence and failure to remediate.amnesty+1
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Ongoing – Smaller factory and workshop fires with child labor in Bangladesh
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Investigative reporting has documented children as young as 10 working in unregistered textile and garment workshops with blocked exits, uninspected electrical systems, and flammable materials piled to the ceiling, creating a constant risk of lethal fires.vice
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Even when not all events make international headlines, they represent a pattern of corporate buyers tolerating unsafe subcontracting that endangers children.vice
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2017–present – Series of industrial accidents in Bangladesh manufacturing sector
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Reuters and other outlets have catalogued major industrial accidents, including boiler explosions and factory fires, often traced to poor maintenance, lack of inspections, or operating permits, with workers killed and surrounding families at risk.reuters
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While not always specifying child fatalities, rights groups emphasize that these workplaces and neighborhoods are part of an ecosystem where children live, play, and sometimes work.
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2015–present – Global pattern of hazardous production sites near communities
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International human rights organizations highlight petrochemical plants, mines, and industrial zones where toxic leaks, fires, and explosions have poisoned air and water, resulting in increased child illness, birth defects, and in some cases child deaths, even when children are not on site as workers.amnesty+1
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Post‑2013 – Global consumer product disasters involving children
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Corporate negligence in product design and safety testing (for example, unsafe furniture, baby products, or vehicles) has been linked to child deaths in multiple jurisdictions, prompting recalls and lawsuits.finance.yahoo
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While these are not factory collapses, they underscore that corporate decisions about safety standards can kill children both inside and outside workplaces.
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KIDS AT RISK ACTION / KARA / INVISIBLE CHILDREN
