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| Woman Rescued in Bangladesh Rubble 2 Weeks After Collapse | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| DHAKA, Bangladesh – In a startling development, a woman trapped for 17 days beneath the rubble of the collapsed Rana Plaza building was discovered alive on Friday and then rushed to a nearby military hospital after rescuers pulled her out of the rubble. | |
| The woman, whose name is Reshma, had been in the basement of the collapsed building, where some areas were apparently protected from serious damage. Rescuers, speaking on live national television from the wreckage site, said they were clearing debris on Friday afternoon when they saw a pipe moving. It turned out to be Reshma, shaking the pipe from below, trying to gain attention. | |
| “Save me!” rescuers say they heard Reshma shouting. | |
| Her rescue was broadcast on television across Bangladesh. A garment worker, Reshma was wearing a red selwar kamiz as she was removed from the rubble. One of the rescuers, a soldier with the Bangladesh Army, told television crews that Reshma had discovered food and water in the basement that had lasted until two days ago. | |
| “When we first spoke to her, she wanted some food and water,” the soldier said. | |
| The stunning discovery of a survivor transformed what had been an especially gloomy day in the recovery effort, as the death toll pushed past 1,000 victims. Five clothing factories operated inside the Rana Plaza building and more than 3,000 people were believed to be working when the structure collapsed on the morning of April 24. It is now considered the worst disaster in the history of the garment industry. | |
| Days earlier, rescuers had given up any hope of finding more survivors and had started using heavy machinery to more quickly clear debris from the site. Before, the last survivor was thought to have been a woman named Shaheena; rescuers spent more than 20 hours trying to save Shaheena before a fire broke out, and she died. | |
| Ahmed Ali Khan, director general of the Bangladesh Fire Service, said work crews would “for the time being” suspend the use of heavy machinery and resume rescue searches in the remaining rubble. | |
| The death toll, now at 1,021, has been rising quickly in recent days, and will likely keep climbing, as work crews using heavy machinery are now removing rubble from some of the most heavily damaged sections of the building. Five garment factories operated inside the structure and at least 3,000 people were reportedly working inside when the building collapsed on the morning of April 24. | The death toll, now at 1,021, has been rising quickly in recent days, and will likely keep climbing, as work crews using heavy machinery are now removing rubble from some of the most heavily damaged sections of the building. Five garment factories operated inside the structure and at least 3,000 people were reportedly working inside when the building collapsed on the morning of April 24. |
| Located in an industrial suburb of Dhaka, the national capital, Rana Plaza exemplified many of safety problems plaguing a Bangladeshi garment industry that is now the world’s second-leading exporter, trailing only China. The authorities in Bangladesh now say the building was illegally constructed, with permits obtained through political influence. The owner, Sohel Rana, now in jail, was illegally adding upper floors to structure at the time the building collapsed, officials said. | Located in an industrial suburb of Dhaka, the national capital, Rana Plaza exemplified many of safety problems plaguing a Bangladeshi garment industry that is now the world’s second-leading exporter, trailing only China. The authorities in Bangladesh now say the building was illegally constructed, with permits obtained through political influence. The owner, Sohel Rana, now in jail, was illegally adding upper floors to structure at the time the building collapsed, officials said. |
| The accident has intensified pressure on global brands and retailers who purchase clothing from factories in Bangladesh to take action to improve worker safety. Last November, at least 112 workers died in a fire at the Tazreen Fashions Factory, which was producing clothing for Sears, Walmart and other global brands and retailers. Earlier this week, a smaller factory fire killed at least eight people. | The accident has intensified pressure on global brands and retailers who purchase clothing from factories in Bangladesh to take action to improve worker safety. Last November, at least 112 workers died in a fire at the Tazreen Fashions Factory, which was producing clothing for Sears, Walmart and other global brands and retailers. Earlier this week, a smaller factory fire killed at least eight people. |
| The Rana Plaza disaster led to nationwide mourning in Bangladesh as well as outrage because it appears that the accident could have been averted. A day before the collapse, an engineer examined cracks in the structure and warned Mr. Rana, as well as owners of the garment factories, that the building was unsafe and should be closed. Instead, workers were told to come to their factories the next morning, and not long after the shifts began, the building collapsed. | The Rana Plaza disaster led to nationwide mourning in Bangladesh as well as outrage because it appears that the accident could have been averted. A day before the collapse, an engineer examined cracks in the structure and warned Mr. Rana, as well as owners of the garment factories, that the building was unsafe and should be closed. Instead, workers were told to come to their factories the next morning, and not long after the shifts began, the building collapsed. |
Julfikar Ali Manik reported from Dhaka and Jim Yardley reported from New Delhi. |