100 die as Bangladesh building collapses

An eight-story building that housed garment factories and shops collapsed in Bangladesh yesterday, killing nearly 100 people and injuring more than 1,000.

About 2,000 people were believed to have been in the Rana Plaza building in Savar, 30km outside Dhaka, when its upper floors slammed onto those below. Last night news sources put the death toll at 96.

Firefighters and troops dug frantically through the rubble to reach survivors, many of whom were still trapped. Doctors at local hospitals said they were unable to cope with the number of victims brought in.

“It looks like an earthquake has struck here,” said one resident as he looked on at the scene of smashed concrete and ambulances making their way through the crowds.

“I was at work on the third floor, and then suddenly I heard a deafening sound, but couldn’t understand what was happening. I ran and was hit by something on my head,” said factory worker Zohra Begum.

Mohammed Asaduzzaman, in charge of the area’s police station, said factory owners appeared to have ignored a warning not to allow workers into the building after a crack was detected in the block on Tuesday.

Five garment factories — employing mostly women — were housed there, including Ether Tex Ltd, whose chairman said he was unaware of any warnings not to open the workshops.

“There was some crack at the second floor, but my factory was on the fifth floor,” Mohammed Anisur Rahman told Reuters. “The owner of the building told our floor manager that it is not a problem and so you can open the factory.”

He initially said his firm had been sub-contracted to supply Wal-Mart Stores, the world’s largest retailer, and Europe’s C&A. In a subsequent interview he said he had been referring to an order in the past.

The retailer Penneys said one of its clothing suppliers was based in the building.

Wal-Mart did not immediately respond to requests for comment. C&A said that, based on its best information, it had no contractual relationship with any of the production units in the building that collapsed.

The website of a company called New Wave, which had two factories in the building, listed 27 main buyers, including firms from Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Canada, and the US.

The building collapse, which follows a November fire at the Tazreen Fashion factory on the outskirts of Dhaka that killed 112 people, has compounded concerns about worker safety and low wages in Bangladesh.

Workers’ rights groups say the push for low-cost production encourages Bangladeshi factories to cut corners.