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| Frantic search for survivors after Dhaka building collapse | Frantic search for survivors after Dhaka building collapse |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| A search for survivors is continuing at a building which collapsed in a suburb of the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, killing at least 200 people. | A search for survivors is continuing at a building which collapsed in a suburb of the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, killing at least 200 people. |
| Rescue workers are working with volunteers to free survivors trapped inside the remains of the building. | Rescue workers are working with volunteers to free survivors trapped inside the remains of the building. |
| Tens of thousands of weeping family members have gathered at the site. | Tens of thousands of weeping family members have gathered at the site. |
| Police said the factory owners had ignored warnings not to allow their workers into the building after cracks were noticed on Tuesday. | Police said the factory owners had ignored warnings not to allow their workers into the building after cracks were noticed on Tuesday. |
| The High Court has summoned the Rana Plaza building owner and senior management staff of the factories to appear before judges on 30 April, local media report. | |
| The factory owners are said to have gone into hiding. | The factory owners are said to have gone into hiding. |
| Police earlier confirmed that cases had been filed against the building owner and the owners of the factories for causing unlawful death. | Police earlier confirmed that cases had been filed against the building owner and the owners of the factories for causing unlawful death. |
| The exact number of those trapped is not clear, but accounts from survivors and eyewitnesses suggest there may be hundreds still unaccounted for. | The exact number of those trapped is not clear, but accounts from survivors and eyewitnesses suggest there may be hundreds still unaccounted for. |
| The disaster has prompted questions over Bangladesh's chronically poor safety standards. | The disaster has prompted questions over Bangladesh's chronically poor safety standards. |
| Bangladesh has one of the largest garment industries in the world, providing cheap clothing for major Western retailers which benefit from its widespread low-cost labour. | Bangladesh has one of the largest garment industries in the world, providing cheap clothing for major Western retailers which benefit from its widespread low-cost labour. |
| Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has announced a national day of mourning on Thursday in memory of the victims. | Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has announced a national day of mourning on Thursday in memory of the victims. |
| Thousands of garment workers in other areas of Dhaka have taken to the streets and blocked roads to protest at the deaths of the workers in Savar. | Thousands of garment workers in other areas of Dhaka have taken to the streets and blocked roads to protest at the deaths of the workers in Savar. |
| Bangladesh's Daily Star newspaper reported that protesters had clashed with police, resulting in some injuries. | |
| 'Like a pancake' | 'Like a pancake' |
| Some 2,000 people were in the Rana Plaza building in Savar, some 30km (20 miles) outside Dhaka, when it collapsed suddenly on Wednesday morning. | Some 2,000 people were in the Rana Plaza building in Savar, some 30km (20 miles) outside Dhaka, when it collapsed suddenly on Wednesday morning. |
| Firefighters and soldiers joined volunteers in the effort to locate survivors in the mangled wreckage of concrete and steel. | Firefighters and soldiers joined volunteers in the effort to locate survivors in the mangled wreckage of concrete and steel. |
| They have been using heavy machinery and their bare hands to free survivors. | |
| Rescue work is proceeding slowly so as not to set off a second collapse, officials say. | |
| Trapped workers can be heard inside the rubble, screaming for help. Food and water is being passed to survivors through gaps in the the rubble. | Trapped workers can be heard inside the rubble, screaming for help. Food and water is being passed to survivors through gaps in the the rubble. |
| Lengths of textile that were earlier being cut into garments - many destined for Western consumers - were now being used as makeshift slides to evacuate survivors and corpses. | Lengths of textile that were earlier being cut into garments - many destined for Western consumers - were now being used as makeshift slides to evacuate survivors and corpses. |
| Mosammat Khursida told the Associated Press (AP) news agency she was looking for her husband. | Mosammat Khursida told the Associated Press (AP) news agency she was looking for her husband. |
| "He came to work in the morning. I can't find him," she said. "I don't know where he is. He does not pick up his phone." | "He came to work in the morning. I can't find him," she said. "I don't know where he is. He does not pick up his phone." |
| Lines of relatives filed by numbered bodies of victims, looking for their family members. | Lines of relatives filed by numbered bodies of victims, looking for their family members. |
| "Save us brother. I beg you brother. I want to live... It's so painful here ... I have two little children," Mohammad Altab, a garment worker trapped in the building told rescuers, according to AP. | "Save us brother. I beg you brother. I want to live... It's so painful here ... I have two little children," Mohammad Altab, a garment worker trapped in the building told rescuers, according to AP. |
| Only the ground floor of the building remained intact, officials said. | Only the ground floor of the building remained intact, officials said. |
| "The whole building collapsed like a pancake within minutes. Most workers did not have any chance to escape," national fire department chief Ahmed Ali told AFP news agency. | "The whole building collapsed like a pancake within minutes. Most workers did not have any chance to escape," national fire department chief Ahmed Ali told AFP news agency. |
| Local hospitals were overwhelmed with the arrival of more than 1,000 injured people. | Local hospitals were overwhelmed with the arrival of more than 1,000 injured people. |
| Speaking at the scene, Home Minister Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir said the building had violated construction codes and "the culprits would be punished". | Speaking at the scene, Home Minister Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir said the building had violated construction codes and "the culprits would be punished". |
| There are reports that the building owner had illegally added three extra stories to the building. | There are reports that the building owner had illegally added three extra stories to the building. |
| 'Catch-22' | 'Catch-22' |
| In November, a fire at a garment factory in the Dhaka suburb of Tazreen drew international attention to working conditions in Bangladesh's textile industry. | In November, a fire at a garment factory in the Dhaka suburb of Tazreen drew international attention to working conditions in Bangladesh's textile industry. |
| Primark, a clothes retailer with a large presence in Britain, confirmed that one of its suppliers was on the second floor of the Rana Plaza. | Primark, a clothes retailer with a large presence in Britain, confirmed that one of its suppliers was on the second floor of the Rana Plaza. |
| It said it was "shocked and deeply saddened by the appalling incident" and that it would work with other retailers to review standards. | It said it was "shocked and deeply saddened by the appalling incident" and that it would work with other retailers to review standards. |
| Discount giant Wal-Mart - which was found to be sourcing products from the Tazreen factory - said it was still trying to establish whether its goods were being produced at the Rana Plaza. | Discount giant Wal-Mart - which was found to be sourcing products from the Tazreen factory - said it was still trying to establish whether its goods were being produced at the Rana Plaza. |
| "We remain committed and are actively engaged in promoting stronger safety measures, and that work continues,'' said Wal-Mart spokesman Kevin Gardner. | "We remain committed and are actively engaged in promoting stronger safety measures, and that work continues,'' said Wal-Mart spokesman Kevin Gardner. |
| A company called New Wave, with two factories in the building, supplies firms from around Europe, the US and Canada. | A company called New Wave, with two factories in the building, supplies firms from around Europe, the US and Canada. |
| Meanwhile, Spanish retailer Mango said it had not been using any of the suppliers in the building but had been in talks with one of them to produce a batch of test products. | Meanwhile, Spanish retailer Mango said it had not been using any of the suppliers in the building but had been in talks with one of them to produce a batch of test products. |
| Edward Hertzman, a textiles broker based in New York, told Reuters news agency that pressure from US retailers to keep costs down was in part responsible for unsafe conditions. | Edward Hertzman, a textiles broker based in New York, told Reuters news agency that pressure from US retailers to keep costs down was in part responsible for unsafe conditions. |
| "Bangladesh is the longest lead-time country and a difficult country to work in, so the only way it becomes competitive is by offering the lowest [cost]. That's the catch-22," he said. | "Bangladesh is the longest lead-time country and a difficult country to work in, so the only way it becomes competitive is by offering the lowest [cost]. That's the catch-22," he said. |
| "If the factories want to raise prices to make up for rising wages and costs, the buyers say: 'Oh why do we want to go to Bangladesh if I could go to China, Pakistan, Cambodia etc for a similar price?" | "If the factories want to raise prices to make up for rising wages and costs, the buyers say: 'Oh why do we want to go to Bangladesh if I could go to China, Pakistan, Cambodia etc for a similar price?" |
| He said if Western companies really wanted safety standards to improve, they would have to accept that they needed to start paying higher prices. | He said if Western companies really wanted safety standards to improve, they would have to accept that they needed to start paying higher prices. |