At least 23 people have been killed in a stampede during a handout of free clothes in the northern Bangladeshi city of Mymensingh, police said. 
 
 The stampede erupted on Friday when hundreds of people tried to force their way into a factory compound through a small gate after massing outside the building before dawn, local police chiefs told the AFP news agency. 
 
 "We have so far recovered 23 bodies. Most of the dead are poor and emaciated women," Mymensingh police chief Moinul Haque said, putting the number of injured at more than 50. 
 
 Kamrul Islam, the senior officer at a police station near the factory, said the death toll could rise. 
 
 "Some people had taken the bodies of their relatives before police arrived at the scene," he said. 
 
 The owner of the factory and six others have been arrested, Islam added. 
 
 Police said up to 1,500 people had massed outside the chewing tobacco factory at around 4:45am after the plant owners had announced they would distribute free clothes to poor people in accordance with Islamic ritual. 
 
 Rich Bangladeshis often distribute free clothes to poor people during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. ||||| Scores more reportedly injured as hundreds of desperately poor people tried to get their hands on free clothing in the northern city of Mymensingh 
 
 A stampede in Bangladesh has left at least 23 people dead as hundreds of poor people tried to get free clothing during a charity handout, police said. 
 
 The stampede in the northern city of Mymensingh was caused when crowds tried to force their way into a businessman’s home through a small gate after massing outside before dawn for the handout, local police chiefs said. 
 
 Television footage showed scenes of devastation, with hundreds of torn and blood-spattered sandals abandoned at the gate of the house, which sits beside the man’s chewing tobacco factory. 
 
 “We have so far recovered 23 bodies. Most of the dead are poor and emaciated women,” the Mymensingh police chief Moinul Haque said. He estimated that more than 50 had been injured. 
 
 Kamrul Islam, the senior officer at a police station near the factory, said the death toll was likely to rise, while local media said scores of people had been injured. 
 
 “Some people had taken the bodies of their relatives before police arrived at the scene,” Islam said. 
 
 Many of the victims were taken by cycle rickshaws to a nearby hospital. Television footage showed relatives rushing through the entrance and corridors, carrying bodies in their arms. 
 
 Facebook Twitter Pinterest A woman grieves beside stampede victims’ bodies at Mymensingh hospital. Photograph: Jahangir Kabir Jewel/AP 
 
 “My wife had gone there to collect some clothes for herself and for our children,” Mohammad Robiul, a rickshaw puller, told the Somoy television news channel. 
 
 “I don’t know what will happen to my kids,” added Robiul, whose wife died, before bursting into tears. 
 
 Dulal Mia, a rickshaw puller who witnessed the stampede, told the bdnews24 website: “As the gate was opening, everybody ran towards it, pushing and shoving each other and then they started falling. 
 
 “Once one person fell to the ground, another 15 to 20 people fell too. The people got killed when they closed the gate.” 
 
 Bangladesh’s prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, expressed deep shock over the tragedy, according to the state-run news agency, BSS. 
 
 In a condolence message, Hasina offered prayers and “conveyed profound sympathy to the bereaved families”, the agency said. 
 
 The religious affairs ministry said it would pay each family 10,000 taka (£83) to cover the cost of their relatives’ funerals. 
 
 Police and local officials said the owner of the factory, his son and six other people had been arrested for failing to ensure public safety. 
 
 “Legal action will be taken against them,” the district governor, Mustakim Billah, told reporters. 
 
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 A special police committee had been set up to investigate the tragedy and was due to report its findings within the next three days. 
 
 Police said up to 1,500 people had massed outside the house at around 4.45am (10.45pm GMT on Thursday) after the owners had announced they would distribute free clothes to poor people in accordance with Islamic ritual. 
 
 Rich Bangladeshis often distribute free clothes to poor people during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which began on 19 June. 
 
 But the handouts have sparked several deadly stampedes over the years. About 40 people were killed in a similar stampede at a garment factory in the northern city Tangail in 2002. 
 
 Factory safety has been a major issue in Bangladesh since the collapse of the Rana Plaza clothing manufacturing complex in April 2013 that left more than 1,100 people dead, making it one of the worst industrial accidents in history. 
 
 
 
 ||||| DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — A stampede in central Bangladesh left 22 women and a child dead early Friday when hundreds of people stormed the home of a businessman for a charity handout during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, police said. 
 
 An elderly woman grieves next dead bodies at Mymensingh Medical College Hospital in the town of Mymensingh, 115 kilometers (70 miles) north of Dhaka, Bangladesh, Friday, July 10, 2015. The victims died... (Associated Press) 
 
 Another 30 were injured and rushed to a hospital in Mymensingh, a town 115 kilometers (70 miles) north of the capital, Dhaka, said police officer Kamrul Islam. 
 
 The crowd gathered outside the tobacco businessman's home around 4 a.m. and stormed in when the gates were opened to collect free clothing, Islam said. Twenty-two women and one child were killed, he said. Survivors said there were about 1,000 people, mostly elderly women, in front of the house. 
 
 Ambia Begum, 45, went with seven female relatives at dawn. One of them died in the stampede. 
 
 "Oh Allah, why did I come here? Why?" she wailed as the body of her 60-year-old relative was retrieved. 
 
 The businessman distributes clothes every year ahead of Eid al-Fitr, the festival marking the end of Ramadan. 
 
 Authorities detained six people, including the businessman, who did not request police presence at his house for the distribution. 
 
 Stampedes are common at religious places and during charity handouts in South Asian countries. ||||| Image copyright AFP/Getty Image caption Police said they expected the death toll to rise 
 
 At least 23 people have been killed and 50 injured in a stampede during a clothes giveaway in Mymensingh city in northern Bangladesh, police say. 
 
 Hundreds of people rushed through a small gate into a factory compound before dawn to get the free garments, causing a crush. 
 
 Police have detained seven people, including the owner of the factory. 
 
 During the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, wealthy Bangladeshis often donate clothing to the poor. 
 
 Police told AFP news agency that 1,500 people had gathered outside the chewing tobacco factory at about 04:45 local time (22:45 GMT Thursday) after the owners announced they would distribute free clothing, as zakat, or a charitable contribution. 
 
 The stampede began when people tried to force their way in. 
 
 Image copyright focusbangla Image caption A witness said there had been a big rush after the gates opened 
 
 Television pictures showed scenes of devastation, with hundreds of blood-spattered sandals lying at the factory gate. 
 
 "Most of the dead are poor and emaciated women," Mymensingh police chief Moinul Haque told AFP. 
 
 An injured woman told Reuters: "The moment the door opened, all the people all together rushed through the gate. 
 
 "Many fell on the ground and others ran over them, and they died." 
 
 Police officer Main Ul Haque said: "We have found 20 bodies, and the number will increase as many of the bodies were taken from the spot by their family members." ||||| A stampede during a Ramadan charity handout killed at least 27 people in Bangladesh on Friday as hundreds of desperately poor people tried to get their hands on free clothing, police said. 
 
 The stampede in the northern city of Mymensingh erupted when crowds of people tried to force their way into a factory compound through a small gate after massing outside before dawn, according to local police chiefs. 
 
 Television footage from the site showed scenes of utter devastation, with hundreds of torn and blood-spattered sandals abandoned at the gate of the chewing tobacco factory, which is located around 120 kilometres (75 miles) north of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka. 
 
 "Most of the dead are poor and emaciated women," Kamrul Islam, a senior officer at a police station near the factory, told AFP. 
 
 Mymensingh police chief Moinul Haque said at least 50 people were also injured. 
 
 Many of the victims were ferried by cycle rickshaws to a nearby hospital with television footage showing relatives rushing through the entrance and corridors, cradling the lifeless bodies of their loved ones in their arms. 
 
 View gallery The BNP and its Islamist allies have accused the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of crack … 
 
 "My wife had gone there to collect some clothes for herself and for our children," Mohammad Robiul, a rickshaw-puller, told the Somoy Television news channel. 
 
 "I don't know what will happen to my kids," Robiul, who lost his wife in the tragedy, added before bursting into tears. 
 
 A witness told the bdnews24 website that the stampede began when a number of people fell to the ground as a melee erupted. 
 
 "As the gate was opening, everybody ran towards it, pushing and shoving each other and then they started falling," said rickshaw-puller Dulal Mia. 
 
 "Once one person fell to the ground, another 15 to 20 people fell, too. The people got killed when they closed the gate." 
 
 View gallery Bangladeshis grieve their relatives killed in a stampede at a charity distribution event during the … 
 
 Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed deep shock over the tragedy, according to the state-run BSS news agency. 
 
 In a condolence message, the Prime Minister offered prayers and "conveyed profound sympathy to the bereaved families", the agency said. 
 
 Meanwhile, the religious affairs ministry said it would pay each family 10,000 taka (US$125) to cover the cost of the funerals of their relatives. 
 
 - Factory owner arrested - 
 
 Police and local officials said that the owner of the factory and six other people have been arrested for failing to ensure public safety. 
 
 "Legal action will be taken against them," District Governor Mustakim Billah told reporters. 
 
 A special police committee has been set up to investigate the tragedy and is due to report its findings within the next three days. 
 
 Police said up to 1,500 people had massed outside the factory at around 4:45 am (2245 GMT on Thursday) after the owners had announced they would distribute free clothes to poor people in accordance with Islamic ritual. 
 
 Rich Bangladeshis often distribute free clothes to poor people during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which began on June 19. 
 
 But the handouts have sparked several deadly stampedes over the years. 
 
 Around 40 people were killed in a similar stampede at a garment factory in the northern city of Tangail in 2002. 
 
 Factory safety has been a major issue in Bangladesh since the collapse of a clothing manufacturing complex in April 2013 that left more than 1,100 people dead, making it one of the worst industrial accidents in history.
– What should have been a generous charity event turned deadly today when hundreds of people stormed a free clothing giveaway, leaving at least 23 dead and dozens injured in Bangladesh, the AP reports. A senior police official says that toll could rise, since "some people had taken the bodies of their relatives before police arrived," AFP reports. Based on witness and police reports cited in the AP and BBC, between 1,000 and 1,500 people had gathered before sunrise outside of where the handout was set to take place. Some reports say the site was a chewing tobacco factory compound, while the AP reports it was the home of a tobacco businessman. It's also unclear based on various reports whether the crowd forced their way through the gates or if the rush happened when the gates were opened. What is clear is the devastation that took place once the stampede started. The BBC notes TV images showed "hundreds of blood-spattered sandals lying at the factory gate," while AFP reports of relatives rushing through the entrance to find the bodies of loved ones. Such giveaways are common during the holy month of Ramadan, when wealthy families offer up their hand-me-downs to the less fortunate, and similar stampedes have happened in the past, the Guardian notes. PM Sheikh Hasina offered prayers and "profound sympathy" to the victims' families, while the country's religious affairs ministry said it would be giving around $125 each to the families of the deceased for funeral costs. Officials told the news agency the factory owner and at least five others have been arrested for not arranging for public safety. (Bangladesh factories have been plagued with issues.)