Inside scorching Pakistani factories making clothes for global fashion brands
Workers complain of muscle paralysis, swollen limbs, blood pressure swings, breathing problems, blurred vision and exhaustion from the heat
Machines whirred around Siddiqui as her vision blurred and her heart hammered. The garment factory on the outskirts of Karachi was sweltering. The room was packed with sweating fellow workers and huge industrial equipment that radiated heat. The air felt thick with the humidity of this summer’s monsoon.
Siddiqui, who asked to be identified only by surname, felt like she was suffocating. Concerned colleagues called over her supervisor. “The supervisor said, ‘Just complete this work,’” the 28-year-old said. “Suddenly darkness came before my eyes.”
Exhausted by the heat, she collapsed.
