Race to the Bottom
A Historical Vignette
by Tom Parquette
Part Three of Four
(Part One is HERE, Part Two is HERE)
* * *
The workers and security personnel labored quickly and diligently to snuff the blaze but they were no match for the rapidly spreading conditions. At 4:21 pm the local police fire brigade was called. The same local authorities report calls also received at 4:30 and 4:31. This triggered the Thai version of mutual aid and the fire companies from Bangkok and Nakhon Pathom Province also responded. The first apparatus arrived at 4:40 and firefighters found Building One totally engulfed with the top floors untenable and already beginning to collapse.
Royal Thai Police and Fire Brigade, Danthai Group
There are conflicting reports as to exactly how many employees were on the site or in which building when all this began. When the fire began, it was reported that there were 1146 workers in Building One alone. Thirty Six on the first floor, 10 on the second, 500 on the third and 600 on the fourth. There were a reported 405 workers in Building Two with 60 on the first floor, 5 on the second, 300 on the third and 40 on the fourth. Building three, still under renewal from the February fire was uncounted. Each of these buildings carried a full fuel load, varying, but composed of polyester, cotton and plastics.
Kader Toy Co. victims (Bangkok Police Fire Brigade photo)
Building One collapsed completely at 5:14 pm. High winds made the struggle worse as the fire brigades fought on. Building Two collapsed at 5:30 pm and Building Three followed at 6:05pm. Building Four was saved along with other accessory structures. Some 50 pieces of fire apparatus were engaged in the effort and declared the inferno under control at 7:45 pm.
No firefighters were killed in this fire attack. Only 1 was injured. The Bangkok Police Fire Brigade reports officially that 188 souls perished in the blaze while another 469 were seriously injured jumping from the second, third and fourth floors.
Representative diorama from ILGWU archives
The walkways which connected the buildings were either fully locked or used as storage areas. Despite the increasing smoke, it was reported that security personnel ordered the workers to stay on their assigned stations. As the fire continued to spread rapidly in Building One, the fire blocked the one stairwell at the south end of the building so most of the workers rushed the north stairwell. That left 1100 frantic people trying to exit through one stairwell.
Hugh Williamson photo
Post fire efforts to determine the true cause of the fire were largely inconclusive due to the total destruction of the point of origin areas. It was at first thought and reported to have been electrical in origin but that was later discounted in favor of a cigarette butt as the culprit. The large loss of life and injury counts were and are attributable to insufficient, inadequate and blocked exits and stairwells, lack of a fire supression system, a non working alarm system in Building One, the height and type of building construction, the lack of any fire proofing, the excessive number of workers allowed in the facility and lack of any fire separation walls throughout the structure(s).
Spontaneous Employees Memorial
(Wall Street Journal)
The similarity which exists between Triangle and Kader cannot and should not be discounted both from a historical and modern day lessons perspective. The parallels are quite astounding when one thoroughly investigates even the information currently in accessible reach. Triangle reached it's severity level in less than 30 minutes. NYFD performed well and quelled the Triangle blaze in short order. Still record setting deaths were involved. Kader, not in a metropolitan area, still was under control in less than three hours. And, yes, still new records of death and injury.
So, what makes these two fires, which occurred in similar industries yet some 82 years apart and over 8,000 miles distant, so similar? What includes them as examples of the Race To The Bottom? We'll discuss that next.
Tomorrow, Part Four – Conclusion
* * * * * * *
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Race To The Bottom – Part Three
No commentsRace to the Bottom
A Historical Vignette
by Tom Parquette
Part Three of Four
(Part One is HERE, Part Two is HERE)
* * *
The workers and security personnel labored quickly and diligently to snuff the blaze but they were no match for the rapidly spreading conditions. At 4:21 pm the local police fire brigade was called. The same local authorities report calls also received at 4:30 and 4:31. This triggered the Thai version of mutual aid and the fire companies from Bangkok and Nakhon Pathom Province also responded. The first apparatus arrived at 4:40 and firefighters found Building One totally engulfed with the top floors untenable and already beginning to collapse.
Royal Thai Police and Fire Brigade, Danthai Group
There are conflicting reports as to exactly how many employees were on the site or in which building when all this began. When the fire began, it was reported that there were 1146 workers in Building One alone. Thirty Six on the first floor, 10 on the second, 500 on the third and 600 on the fourth. There were a reported 405 workers in Building Two with 60 on the first floor, 5 on the second, 300 on the third and 40 on the fourth. Building three, still under renewal from the February fire was uncounted. Each of these buildings carried a full fuel load, varying, but composed of polyester, cotton and plastics.
Kader Toy Co. victims (Bangkok Police Fire Brigade photo)
Building One collapsed completely at 5:14 pm. High winds made the struggle worse as the fire brigades fought on. Building Two collapsed at 5:30 pm and Building Three followed at 6:05pm. Building Four was saved along with other accessory structures. Some 50 pieces of fire apparatus were engaged in the effort and declared the inferno under control at 7:45 pm.
No firefighters were killed in this fire attack. Only 1 was injured. The Bangkok Police Fire Brigade reports officially that 188 souls perished in the blaze while another 469 were seriously injured jumping from the second, third and fourth floors.
Representative diorama from ILGWU archives
The walkways which connected the buildings were either fully locked or used as storage areas. Despite the increasing smoke, it was reported that security personnel ordered the workers to stay on their assigned stations. As the fire continued to spread rapidly in Building One, the fire blocked the one stairwell at the south end of the building so most of the workers rushed the north stairwell. That left 1100 frantic people trying to exit through one stairwell.
Hugh Williamson photo
Post fire efforts to determine the true cause of the fire were largely inconclusive due to the total destruction of the point of origin areas. It was at first thought and reported to have been electrical in origin but that was later discounted in favor of a cigarette butt as the culprit. The large loss of life and injury counts were and are attributable to insufficient, inadequate and blocked exits and stairwells, lack of a fire supression system, a non working alarm system in Building One, the height and type of building construction, the lack of any fire proofing, the excessive number of workers allowed in the facility and lack of any fire separation walls throughout the structure(s).
Spontaneous Employees Memorial
(Wall Street Journal)
The similarity which exists between Triangle and Kader cannot and should not be discounted both from a historical and modern day lessons perspective. The parallels are quite astounding when one thoroughly investigates even the information currently in accessible reach. Triangle reached it's severity level in less than 30 minutes. NYFD performed well and quelled the Triangle blaze in short order. Still record setting deaths were involved. Kader, not in a metropolitan area, still was under control in less than three hours. And, yes, still new records of death and injury.
So, what makes these two fires, which occurred in similar industries yet some 82 years apart and over 8,000 miles distant, so similar? What includes them as examples of the Race To The Bottom? We'll discuss that next.
Tomorrow, Part Four – Conclusion
* * * * * * *