BANGLADESH: Rescue workers search through rubble 72 hours after the deadly collapse of a building, with one army officer saying there were still people trapped alive, as garment workers protest against poor working conditions

Record ID: 216366

  • Title: BANGLADESH: Rescue workers search through rubble 72 hours after the deadly collapse of a building, with one army officer saying there were still people trapped alive, as garment workers protest against poor working conditions
  • Date: 27th April 2013
  • Summary: SAVAR, BANGLADESH (APRIL 27,2013) (REUTERS) COLLAPSED BUILDING AS RESCUE TEAMS WORK VARIOUS OF RESCUE TEAMS WORKING SEWING MACHINE IN THE RUBBLE WORKERS REMOVING DEBRIS FAMILIES SITTING NEAR THE FACTORY (SOUNDBITE) (Bengali) ARMY OFFICER, MAJOR RUHUL, SAYING "We were able to make holes up to the third floor, and through that space we are trying to get out the bodies. The
  • Embargoed: 12th May 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Bangladesh
  • Country: Bangladesh
  • Topics: Accidents
  • Reuters ID: LVAEU81SWHU9040LO8179MH0C8T7
  • Story Text: Rescue efforts continued in Bangladesh on Saturday (April 27) 72 hours after the deadly collapse of a building where low-cost garments were made for Western brands, as the death toll rose to 325 and angry workers protested again poor working conditions.
    Two factory bosses were arrested in Bangladesh, while the owner of the eight-storey building that fell like a pack of cards around more than 3,000 workers was still on the run.
    Miraculously, people were still being pulled alive from the rubble, seven in all since daybreak on Saturday.
    Frantic efforts were under way to extract 15 people trapped under the mound of broken concrete who were being supplied with dried food, bottled water and oxygen.
    One army officer helping in rescue efforts said food was being passed up to survivors.

    "We were able to make holes up to the third floor, and through that space we are trying to get out the bodies. There are people still alive and we supply them with food. They are still alive that is the big hope, and we are working," Major Ruhul said.
    About 2,500 people have been rescued, at least half of them injured, from the remains of the building in the commercial suburb of Savar, about 30 km (20 miles) from Dhaka.
    Anger over the working conditions of Bangladesh's 3.6 million garment workers - most of whom are women - has grown since the disaster, triggering protests and clashes with police. Hundreds were on the streets again on Saturday morning, smashing and burning cars.
    Officials said the Rana Plaza, on the outskirts of the capital, Dhaka, had been built illegally without the correct permits, and the workers were allowed in on Wednesday (April 24) despite warnings the previous day that it was structurally unsafe.
    The owner and managing director of the largest of the five factories in the complex, New Wave Style, surrendered to the country's garment industry association during the night and they were handed over to police.
    The factory, which listed many European and North American retailers as its customers, occupied upper floors of the building that officials said had been added illegally.
    Junior Internal Affairs Minister, Shamsul Huq told reporters that everyone involved in erecting the building, from designers to engineers would be arrested.
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