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| Bangladeshi finance minister plays down impact of Dhaka factory collapse | Bangladeshi finance minister plays down impact of Dhaka factory collapse |
| (12 days later) | |
| Bangladesh's finance minister said on Friday he did not think the impact of last week's factory collapse on his country's garment industry would be serious, hours after the 500th body was retrieved. | Bangladesh's finance minister said on Friday he did not think the impact of last week's factory collapse on his country's garment industry would be serious, hours after the 500th body was retrieved. |
| Abul Maal Abdul Muhith spoke as the government dealt with those whom it blamed for the disaster in the Dhaka suburb of Savar. It suspended Savar's mayor and arrested an engineer who had called for the building's evacuation last week, but who has also been accused of helping the owner add three illegal floors to make the structure eight storeys high. The building's owner had been arrested earlier. | Abul Maal Abdul Muhith spoke as the government dealt with those whom it blamed for the disaster in the Dhaka suburb of Savar. It suspended Savar's mayor and arrested an engineer who had called for the building's evacuation last week, but who has also been accused of helping the owner add three illegal floors to make the structure eight storeys high. The building's owner had been arrested earlier. |
| The government appears to be trying to fend off accusations that it is partly to blame for the tragedy because of weak oversight of the building's construction. | The government appears to be trying to fend off accusations that it is partly to blame for the tragedy because of weak oversight of the building's construction. |
| On a visit to the Indian capital, New Delhi, Muhith said the collapse would not harm Bangladesh's garment industry, which is by far the country's biggest source of export income. | On a visit to the Indian capital, New Delhi, Muhith said the collapse would not harm Bangladesh's garment industry, which is by far the country's biggest source of export income. |
| "The present difficulties … well, I don't think it is really serious – it's an accident," he said. "And the steps we have taken in order to make sure that it doesn't happen, they are quite elaborate and I believe will be appreciated by all." | "The present difficulties … well, I don't think it is really serious – it's an accident," he said. "And the steps we have taken in order to make sure that it doesn't happen, they are quite elaborate and I believe will be appreciated by all." |
| Muhith said he was not worried about foreign retailers pulling orders from Bangladesh: "These are individual cases of … accidents. It happens everywhere." | Muhith said he was not worried about foreign retailers pulling orders from Bangladesh: "These are individual cases of … accidents. It happens everywhere." |
| The 24 April collapse may be the deadliest garment factory accident ever. It has surpassed the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire in New York in 1911, which killed 146 workers, and more recent tragedies including two fires in 2012 – one in Pakistan that killed 260 and one in Bangladesh that killed 112. | The 24 April collapse may be the deadliest garment factory accident ever. It has surpassed the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire in New York in 1911, which killed 146 workers, and more recent tragedies including two fires in 2012 – one in Pakistan that killed 260 and one in Bangladesh that killed 112. |
| The official Dhaka death toll reached 501 on Friday and was expected to climb further. Workers were carefully using cranes to remove concrete rubble and continuing the slow task of recovering bodies. The official number still missing has been 149 since Wednesday, though unofficial estimates are higher. | The official Dhaka death toll reached 501 on Friday and was expected to climb further. Workers were carefully using cranes to remove concrete rubble and continuing the slow task of recovering bodies. The official number still missing has been 149 since Wednesday, though unofficial estimates are higher. |
| "We are still proceeding cautiously so that we get the bodies intact," said Major General Chowdhury Hassan Suhwardy, the local army commander who is supervising the rescue. | "We are still proceeding cautiously so that we get the bodies intact," said Major General Chowdhury Hassan Suhwardy, the local army commander who is supervising the rescue. |
| A government investigator said substandard building materials, combined with the vibration of heavy machines used by the five garment factories in the Rana Plaza building, led to the collapse. | A government investigator said substandard building materials, combined with the vibration of heavy machines used by the five garment factories in the Rana Plaza building, led to the collapse. |
| Mainuddin Khandkar, head of a government investigation committee, said substandard rods, cement, bricks and other weak materials were used in the construction of the building, which was not properly fortified to house the factories' equipment. | Mainuddin Khandkar, head of a government investigation committee, said substandard rods, cement, bricks and other weak materials were used in the construction of the building, which was not properly fortified to house the factories' equipment. |
| About 15 minutes before the collapse, the building was hit by a power blackout, so its heavy generators were turned on, shaking the weakened structure, Khandkar said. | About 15 minutes before the collapse, the building was hit by a power blackout, so its heavy generators were turned on, shaking the weakened structure, Khandkar said. |
| "The vibration created by machines and generators operating in the five garment factories contributed first to the cracks and then the collapse," he said, adding that a final report would be soon submitted to the government. | "The vibration created by machines and generators operating in the five garment factories contributed first to the cracks and then the collapse," he said, adding that a final report would be soon submitted to the government. |
| An engineer, Abdur Razzak Khan, was arrested on Thursday on a charge of negligence, police said. Khan is said to have worked as a consultant to Rana Plaza's owner, Mohammed Sohel Rana, when three floors were added. | An engineer, Abdur Razzak Khan, was arrested on Thursday on a charge of negligence, police said. Khan is said to have worked as a consultant to Rana Plaza's owner, Mohammed Sohel Rana, when three floors were added. |
| Rana called Khan to inspect the building after it developed cracks on 23 April, local media reported. That night Khan appeared on a private TV station saying that after his inspection he told Rana to evacuate the building because it was not safe. | Rana called Khan to inspect the building after it developed cracks on 23 April, local media reported. That night Khan appeared on a private TV station saying that after his inspection he told Rana to evacuate the building because it was not safe. |
| Khan, a former engineer at Jahangirnagar University near Savar, said he had told government engineers the building needed to be examined. | Khan, a former engineer at Jahangirnagar University near Savar, said he had told government engineers the building needed to be examined. |
| Police ordered the building to be evacuated, but witnesses say Rana told people gathered outside the next morning the building was safe and that garment factory managers told their workers to go inside. It collapsed hours later. | Police ordered the building to be evacuated, but witnesses say Rana told people gathered outside the next morning the building was safe and that garment factory managers told their workers to go inside. It collapsed hours later. |
| Authorities also suspended the mayor of Savar, Mohammad Refatullah, for alleged negligence, a local government spokesman, Abu Alam, said. | Authorities also suspended the mayor of Savar, Mohammad Refatullah, for alleged negligence, a local government spokesman, Abu Alam, said. |
| He added that an official investigation found that the mayor ignored regulations when he approved the design and layout of the building. The mayor is from the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist party, which has criticised his suspension as politically motivated. | He added that an official investigation found that the mayor ignored regulations when he approved the design and layout of the building. The mayor is from the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist party, which has criticised his suspension as politically motivated. |
| The government also effectively suspended Kabir Hossain Sardar, the top government administrator in Savar, following reports that he declared the building safe after inspecting it a day before the collapse. Sardar had close links with Rana. Alam said the government was taking action against everyone involved with Rana and his building. | The government also effectively suspended Kabir Hossain Sardar, the top government administrator in Savar, following reports that he declared the building safe after inspecting it a day before the collapse. Sardar had close links with Rana. Alam said the government was taking action against everyone involved with Rana and his building. |
| Rana was also arrested and is expected to be charged with negligence, illegal construction and forcing workers to join work, crimes punishable by a maximum of seven years in jail. Authorities have not said if more serious crimes will be added. | Rana was also arrested and is expected to be charged with negligence, illegal construction and forcing workers to join work, crimes punishable by a maximum of seven years in jail. Authorities have not said if more serious crimes will be added. |
| The Bangladesh high court has ordered the government to confiscate Rana's property and freeze the assets of the owners of the factories in Rana Plaza so the money can be used to pay the salaries of their workers. | The Bangladesh high court has ordered the government to confiscate Rana's property and freeze the assets of the owners of the factories in Rana Plaza so the money can be used to pay the salaries of their workers. |
| Among the garment-makers in the building were Phantom Apparels, Phantom Tac, Ether Tex, New Wave Style and New Wave Bottoms. | Among the garment-makers in the building were Phantom Apparels, Phantom Tac, Ether Tex, New Wave Style and New Wave Bottoms. |
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