The Kader Toy Factory fire, which occurred on May 10, 1993, in Thailand, was one of the deadliest industrial disasters in history. The fire broke out at the Kader Industrial (Thailand) Co. Ltd. in Nakhon Pathom Province, west of Bangkok, where workers were manufacturing toys for international brands like Disney. The fire claimed the lives of 188 people and injured over 500 others.
Why was the death toll so high?
Several factors contributed to so many losing their lives in this tragic event:
- Unsafe working conditions: The factory was overcrowded and lacked proper fire safety measures. Reports indicated that the building had narrow exits, insufficient fire alarms, and inadequate firefighting equipment. These conditions made it difficult for workers to escape when the fire broke out.
- Locked exits: To prevent theft and unauthorised breaks, some exits were reportedly locked or blocked, trapping workers inside the burning building. This prevented many from escaping and contributed to the high casualty count.
- Delayed response: Emergency response efforts were hindered by the factory’s remote location and poor infrastructure. Firefighters struggled to access the site quickly, delaying rescue operations and exacerbating the situation.
- Flammable materials: The presence of flammable materials such as plastic toys and packaging materials fueled the fire, causing it to spread rapidly throughout the factory.
After the fire, there were prosecutions and legal actions taken against the factory owners and officials responsible for the safety lapses. Some were charged with negligence leading to death and received prison sentences, while others faced fines. The tragedy led to increased scrutiny of labour conditions in factories across Asia and sparked calls for improved workplace safety standards.
