CORRECTION: Army praises rescue of a woman from rubble of a collapsed building in Dhaka after 17 days

Record ID: 216390

  • Title: CORRECTION: Army praises rescue of a woman from rubble of a collapsed building in Dhaka after 17 days
  • Date: 11th May 2013
  • Summary: DHAKA, BANGLADESH (MAY 11, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF HEAVY MACHINERY REMOVING DEBRIS FROM SITE OF COLLAPSED FACTORY COMPLEX SCHOOL GIRLS WATCHING FROM RICKSHAW VARIOUS OF VOLUNTEERS CARRYING BODY FOUND IN THE DEBRIS MACHINERY WORKING AT SITE VARIOUS OF VOLUNTEERS CARRYING ANOTHER BODY (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARMY OFFICER BRIGADIER GENERAL AZMAL KAVIR SAYING: "Bismillahir
  • Embargoed: 26th May 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Bangladesh
  • Country: Bangladesh
  • Topics: Disasters,General
  • Reuters ID: LVADWPLNA0Z4F5TKJOYSMTWDRCWK
  • Story Text: As the recovery continued for victims of the deadly building collapse in Bangladesh on Saturday (May 11), officials praised efforts that saw a woman rescued alive after 17 days under the rubble.
    Crews have now pulled at least 1,050 dead bodies from the wreckage of the eight-storey garments factory which collapsed on April 24. It is the world's worst industrial accident since Bhopal in India in 1984.
    A military official said the rescue of a the young woman who spent 17 days alive under the rubble was a "miracle".
    Reshma Begum was cut from the ruins and hoisted onto a stretcher to wild cheers on Friday (May 10) after workmen heard her calling "save me, save me".
    "Bismillahir Rahmanur Rahim (Arabic word meaning 'in the name of God') all presence to almighty Allah, with his blessings and everyone's joined and collective effort, yesterday we could rescue a life after 17 days. It is a miracle, but it could not have been possible due to the sincerest effort of all concerned. And we have been operating since the day one, and still it is continuing as such, and we will continue to do so until we reach the end and we recover all the bodies, alive or dead, still in trapped inside. And our effort will continue and inshallah (by the grace of God) we will succeed at the end. Now we are on the second floor and first floor slabs and we almost reaching to the basement," Brigadier Azmal Kavir said on Saturday.
    The rescue captivated a nation which had long given up hope of finding any survivors.
    Begum was trapped in a lightless, cell-like nook - alone, but alive. She managed to survive by taking sips from bottles of water buried with her.
    One of the survivors of the factory collapse welcomed the news.
    "On that day we all went into the factory and after it collapsed I was rescued after five days. Yesterday my friend was rescued, I am very happy to listen to that, I am eagerly waiting to see her," Rita Begum said.
    About 2,500 people were rescued from the building, in the industrial suburb of Savar, 20 miles northwest of Dhaka, including many injured, but there is no official estimate of the numbers still missing.
    Nine people have been arrested in connection with the disaster, including the building's owner and bosses of the factories it housed.
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