The development authority in Pakistan’s second-largest city and economic hub Lahore has released a list of 459 illegal factories and industrial plants after a spate of fatal accidents. In the most deadly known accident, 46 people died when an illegal four-storey factory collapsed. Illegal factories are built in residential areas in order to avoid official scrutiny and regulation. According to the Lahore Development Authority, illegal manufacturing plants produce everything from pharmaceuticals and steel to textiles and embroidery. The last most deadly accident was in 2012 when 26 people died in an explosion at an illegal pharmaceutical factory.
