"KARACHI, Pakistan — 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 The Associated Press is identifying only by surname because she fears retaliation by her employer, felt like she was suffocating. Concerned co-workers called over her supervisor.
“The supervisor said, ‘Just complete this work,’” Siddiqui, 28, told The Associated Press. “Suddenly darkness came before my eyes.”
Exhausted by the heat, she collapsed."
Victoria Milko reports for the Associated Press October 20, 2026.
