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| Dhaka: many dead as garment factory building that supplied west collapses | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Hundreds of garment workers employed in factories that supplied high-street shops in the west, including Primark, the discount clothing store, are feared dead after an eight-storey building collapsed on the outskirts of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, on Wednesday. | |
| The death toll was as high as 147 by Thursday morning, according to officials cited by the Reuters and Associated Press news agencies, and looked likely to rise further. | |
| One rescue worker said about 2,000 people were working on the upper floors of the factory, the Rana Plaza in the suburb of Savar, when the collapse occurred at about 9am on Wednesday, just after work had started for the day. He added that about 1,000 had been pulled from the rubble. Other estimates for the number of workers in the building as a whole were as high as 5,000. | |
| Primark issued a statement on Wednesday saying the company was "shocked and saddened" and confirmed that one of its suppliers "occupied the second floor" of the building. | Primark issued a statement on Wednesday saying the company was "shocked and saddened" and confirmed that one of its suppliers "occupied the second floor" of the building. |
| Bangladesh's booming garment industry is one of the country's biggest employers and foreign exchange earners but has been plagued by fires, building collapses and other accidents for many years despite a drive to improve safety standards. In November 2012 112 workers died in a blaze at a factory in a nearby suburb, putting a spotlight on global retailers that source clothes from Bangladesh. | |
| Dilara Begum, a garment worker who survived the accident, said workers had been ordered to leave after a crack appeared in the wall of the building on Tuesday but on Wednesday morning supervisors had told them to return to work, saying the building had been inspected and declared safe. | |
| "We didn't want to go in but the supervisors threatened to dock pay if we didn't return to work," she told the Guardian. | "We didn't want to go in but the supervisors threatened to dock pay if we didn't return to work," she told the Guardian. |
| Mohammad Asaduzzaman, in charge of the area's police station, said factory owners appeared to have ignored a warning not to allow their workers into the building after a crack was detected in the block on Tuesday. A bank based in the block sent its staff home on Tuesday, locals said, fearful of a collapse. | Mohammad Asaduzzaman, in charge of the area's police station, said factory owners appeared to have ignored a warning not to allow their workers into the building after a crack was detected in the block on Tuesday. A bank based in the block sent its staff home on Tuesday, locals said, fearful of a collapse. |
| There was no warning before the rear of the building fell in, followed by most of the upper floors, survivors said. | There was no warning before the rear of the building fell in, followed by most of the upper floors, survivors said. |
| "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 Zohra, another worker, who was pulled from the rubble by local people. | "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 Zohra, another worker, who was pulled from the rubble by local people. |
| Volunteers and relatives of buried victims were using hands and basic tools to shift mountains of rubble on Wednesday evening as rescue teams of firefighters and soldiers attempted to reach survivors. | |
| Bodies shrouded in white cloth were laid out in rows in the front yard of a nearby school. | |
| Mohammed al-Amin, a local shopkeeper who had volunteered to help the rescue teams, said at least 50 bodies had been identified and taken away by family members. Many others remained unidentified. | |
| Sheikh Hasina, the prime minister of Bangladesh, declared Thursday a day of mourning in the country. | |
| At least one factory in the collapsed building has previously supplied the UK discount store Matalan. | |
| Among the businesses in the building were Phantom Apparels Ltd, New Wave Style Ltd, New Wave Bottoms Ltd and New Wave Brothers Ltd – the latter all part of the same New Wave group which on its website named 27 main buyers, including firms from Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, Spain, Ireland, Canada and the United States. A spokeswoman for Matalan, which has 212 stores in the UK selling fashion for men, women and children, and homeware, said: "We can confirm that New Wave has been a supplier to Matalan, although we don't have any current production with them. We are deeply saddened by the news and we have been trying to get in touch with our contacts since we heard to check if we are able to assist them." | |
| There were five garment factories – employing mostly women – in the building. They included Ether Tex Ltd, whose chairman told Reuters he was unaware of any warnings not to open the workshops. | There were five garment factories – employing mostly women – in the building. They included Ether Tex Ltd, whose chairman told Reuters 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," Muhammad Anisur Rahman said. "The owner of the building told our floor manager that it is not a problem and so you can open the factory." | |
| Sheikh Abdul Mannan, a senior official at Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakkha, the government agency responsible for building safety in Dhaka, said the building broke national building regulations. | Sheikh Abdul Mannan, a senior official at Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakkha, the government agency responsible for building safety in Dhaka, said the building broke national building regulations. |
| "We are investigating whether proper planning permissions were taken," he said. | "We are investigating whether proper planning permissions were taken," he said. |
| November's factory fire raised questions about how much control western brands have over their supply chains for clothes sourced from Bangladesh. Wages as low as $38.50 a month have helped propel the country to the second largest apparel exporter in the world. | November's factory fire raised questions about how much control western brands have over their supply chains for clothes sourced from Bangladesh. Wages as low as $38.50 a month have helped propel the country to the second largest apparel exporter in the world. |
| Buildings in the crowded city of Dhaka are sometimes erected without permission and many do not comply with construction regulations. | Buildings in the crowded city of Dhaka are sometimes erected without permission and many do not comply with construction regulations. |
| Savar is a relatively new manufacturing zone and was once swampland. | Savar is a relatively new manufacturing zone and was once swampland. |
| Laia Blanch, international programmes officer with the charity War on Want, which campaigns for better working conditions for overseas workers in the garment and other industries, said: "It is dreadful that … governments continue to allow garment workers to die or suffer terrible, disabling injuries in unsafe factories making clothes for western nations' shoppers. How many more lives must be lost or crushed before ministers and companies act to stop these scandalous human tragedies?" | Laia Blanch, international programmes officer with the charity War on Want, which campaigns for better working conditions for overseas workers in the garment and other industries, said: "It is dreadful that … governments continue to allow garment workers to die or suffer terrible, disabling injuries in unsafe factories making clothes for western nations' shoppers. How many more lives must be lost or crushed before ministers and companies act to stop these scandalous human tragedies?" |
| Sam Maher, of Labour Behind the Label, said: "It's unbelievable that brands still refuse to sign a binding agreement with unions and labour groups to stop these unsafe working conditions from existing. Tragedy after tragedy shows that corporate-controlled monitoring has failed to protect workers' lives." | Sam Maher, of Labour Behind the Label, said: "It's unbelievable that brands still refuse to sign a binding agreement with unions and labour groups to stop these unsafe working conditions from existing. Tragedy after tragedy shows that corporate-controlled monitoring has failed to protect workers' lives." |
| Reforms were promised after the 2005 collapse of the Spectrum factory in which 64 died. | Reforms were promised after the 2005 collapse of the Spectrum factory in which 64 died. |
| Primark – owned by Associated British Foods – confirmed that it is currently being supplied by New Wave. The retailer has a total of 257 stores worldwide and in the UK has become symbolic of cheap, "throwaway" fashion which is sold and worn in high volume. It has opened 15 new stores in the past six months, including six in Spain, four in the UK, two in Germany, two in Austria and one in the Netherlands. It is also set to make its first foray into France by the end of the year. | Primark – owned by Associated British Foods – confirmed that it is currently being supplied by New Wave. The retailer has a total of 257 stores worldwide and in the UK has become symbolic of cheap, "throwaway" fashion which is sold and worn in high volume. It has opened 15 new stores in the past six months, including six in Spain, four in the UK, two in Germany, two in Austria and one in the Netherlands. It is also set to make its first foray into France by the end of the year. |
| A company spokesman said Primark "has been engaged for several years with NGOs and other retailers to review the Bangladeshi industry's approach to factory standards. Primark will push for this review to also include building integrity." | A company spokesman said Primark "has been engaged for several years with NGOs and other retailers to review the Bangladeshi industry's approach to factory standards. Primark will push for this review to also include building integrity." |
| Primark's ethical trade team was urgently working "to collect information, assess which communities the workers come from, and to provide support where possible", the spokesman added. | Primark's ethical trade team was urgently working "to collect information, assess which communities the workers come from, and to provide support where possible", the spokesman added. |
| Last week Primark revealed a 24% jump in sales, as its successful formula of embracing the high street over the internet has paid off. | Last week Primark revealed a 24% jump in sales, as its successful formula of embracing the high street over the internet has paid off. |
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