BDforever
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2013
- Messages
- 14,387
- Reaction score
- 8
- Country
- Location
Atleast 22 dead bodies have been recovered from the ill-fated multi-storied Rana Plaza at Savar bus stand which collapsed early on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said these bodies have been taken out from the debris of the building.
She said atleast 200 others were injured in the high rise collapse.
Doctors say the death toll could rise as some of those injured are in critical condition.
She pulled the BNP for the strike which she alleged was affecting rescue efforts -- but the BNP has already relaxed the strike at Savar to facilitate rescue.
The Prime Minister said authorities had a hunch that the building might collapse.
“We were aware beforehand that the building will collapse. We asked all to vacate. People went back in the morning to recover their valuables,” she said.
That is when, she said, the building collapsed.
Bangladesh Army, police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and firefighters were involved in the rescue, she said while inaugurating the DEMU train at Dhaka’s Kamalapur Railway Station.
Savar Model Police OC Asaduzzaman said the rear of the building suddenly started to collapse around 8:30am on Wednesday. Within a short time, the whole structure, except the main pillar and parts of the front wall, had caved in triggering all-round panic.
Locals alleged many bodies were removed from the collapsed building.
More than 100 injured were admitted to local hospitals, they said.
But many more are still trapped under the debris.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has expressed deep shock at the tragedy and has ordered the local administration to carry out the rescue operation on a war footing.
Opposition leader Khaleda Zia has also expressed shock and grief over the incident.
Four army teams have joined the police, RAB, firefighters and the locals in expediting rescue efforts.
Locals fear many casualties.
Meanwhile, traffic on the Dhaka-Aricha Highway has been disrupted after the building collapse as thousands of people came out to join the rescue.
OC Asaduzzaman said four garments factories and a bank branch located in the complex were closed on Tuesday after the building’s wall showed cracks. However, some workers returned to factories on Wednesday before the collapse.
Stall owner Sujon Mia told bdnews24.com the building collapsed suddenly with a loud sound.
The ground and first floors of the plaza had shops selling electronic goods, computers, perfumes, garments, and also had a branch of Brac Bank.
On the second floor was New Wave Bottoms Limited. Phantom Apparels Ltd was on the third floor while Phantom Tack Ltd was on the fourth floor and Ethar Textile Ltd on the fifth floor.
Around 6,000 workers used to work in these factories, locals said.
Officials of the local administration had visited the spot on Tuesday.
Engineer Abdur Razzak had said the building needed to be examined by structural experts from BUET for the sake of safety.
He had also forewarned about a possible collapse.
The Rana Plaza is owned by Awami League youth front Juba League’s Senior Joint Convenor, Md Sohel Rana. He had apparently said the cracks were nothing serious.
Building collapses are not infrequent in Bangladesh, specially in Dhaka, where construction laws are seldom enforced.
In one of the worst such incidents, at least 70 people were killed when a garment factory collapsed outside Dhaka in 2005.
Atleast 14 died and 25 were injured when another high-rise building owned by a government official collapsed on tin-roof shanties in June 2010.
source: Rana Plaza Collapse: 22 dead - bdnews24.com
Latest news: 70 people died and more than 600 injured according to Health Minister.
RIP To Dead
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said these bodies have been taken out from the debris of the building.
She said atleast 200 others were injured in the high rise collapse.
Doctors say the death toll could rise as some of those injured are in critical condition.
She pulled the BNP for the strike which she alleged was affecting rescue efforts -- but the BNP has already relaxed the strike at Savar to facilitate rescue.
The Prime Minister said authorities had a hunch that the building might collapse.
“We were aware beforehand that the building will collapse. We asked all to vacate. People went back in the morning to recover their valuables,” she said.
That is when, she said, the building collapsed.
Bangladesh Army, police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and firefighters were involved in the rescue, she said while inaugurating the DEMU train at Dhaka’s Kamalapur Railway Station.
Savar Model Police OC Asaduzzaman said the rear of the building suddenly started to collapse around 8:30am on Wednesday. Within a short time, the whole structure, except the main pillar and parts of the front wall, had caved in triggering all-round panic.
Locals alleged many bodies were removed from the collapsed building.
More than 100 injured were admitted to local hospitals, they said.
But many more are still trapped under the debris.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has expressed deep shock at the tragedy and has ordered the local administration to carry out the rescue operation on a war footing.
Opposition leader Khaleda Zia has also expressed shock and grief over the incident.
Four army teams have joined the police, RAB, firefighters and the locals in expediting rescue efforts.
Locals fear many casualties.
Meanwhile, traffic on the Dhaka-Aricha Highway has been disrupted after the building collapse as thousands of people came out to join the rescue.
OC Asaduzzaman said four garments factories and a bank branch located in the complex were closed on Tuesday after the building’s wall showed cracks. However, some workers returned to factories on Wednesday before the collapse.
Stall owner Sujon Mia told bdnews24.com the building collapsed suddenly with a loud sound.
The ground and first floors of the plaza had shops selling electronic goods, computers, perfumes, garments, and also had a branch of Brac Bank.
On the second floor was New Wave Bottoms Limited. Phantom Apparels Ltd was on the third floor while Phantom Tack Ltd was on the fourth floor and Ethar Textile Ltd on the fifth floor.
Around 6,000 workers used to work in these factories, locals said.
Officials of the local administration had visited the spot on Tuesday.
Engineer Abdur Razzak had said the building needed to be examined by structural experts from BUET for the sake of safety.
He had also forewarned about a possible collapse.
The Rana Plaza is owned by Awami League youth front Juba League’s Senior Joint Convenor, Md Sohel Rana. He had apparently said the cracks were nothing serious.
Building collapses are not infrequent in Bangladesh, specially in Dhaka, where construction laws are seldom enforced.
In one of the worst such incidents, at least 70 people were killed when a garment factory collapsed outside Dhaka in 2005.
Atleast 14 died and 25 were injured when another high-rise building owned by a government official collapsed on tin-roof shanties in June 2010.
source: Rana Plaza Collapse: 22 dead - bdnews24.com
Latest news: 70 people died and more than 600 injured according to Health Minister.
RIP To Dead
