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Bangladesh:Garment factory collapses - 26 garment
workers die, 200 trapped |
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2005-4-13
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In a nine-storey garment factory collapse, sources said at least 26 workers were killed and over 200 others trapped due to boiler explosion, early Monday.
Located Savar Export Processing Zone in Baipail, rescuers were able to recover 16 bodies with the assistance of the local people.
More than 100 people with severe injuries were being treated at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) and other private clinics at Savar.
The blast occurred at about 1.00AM at the boiler on the ground floor of the Spectrum Sweater and Knitwear factory, 35 kilometres (22 miles) northwest of the capital Dhaka.
There were around 500 people working in the night-shift of which, 350 workers were on the sixth, 50 on the third and around 100 on the first floor, majority of them were women.
As soon as the news filtered about the tragedy, relatives of the workers gathered around the wreckage and were found wailing. Even those trapped under the rubble were heard crying and wailing for help.
On receiving the news, over 1500 members of the Fire Brigade, Bangladesh Army, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Police personnel rushed to the scene and began the rescue operations.
Shahriar Hassan, the owner of the garment factory could not be contacted.
Rescue workers fear higher death toll as time passes, due to lack of infrastructure facilities in clearing the huge wreckage.
Deputy Director of the Fire Brigade Selim Newaz Bhuiyan said, "It may take days as we do not have adequate logistic supports and manpower to remove the rubble to rescue the survivors who are groaning in pain under the collapsed building."
Even the army dog-squad has been deployed in the rescue operation while army land levelers and other equipment were being brought in to remove the rubbles.
On hearing the news the Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, Commerce Minister Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, State Minister for Home Affairs Lutfozzaman Babar, IG of Police M Hadisuddin Ahmed, DG of RAB Anwarul Islam, Fire Bridge DG Rafiqur Rahman and Local MP Dewan Mohammad Salahuddin rushed to the spot and supervised the rescue operation.
Meanwhile, during his visit to the site the Awami League general secretary Abdul Jalil, MP squarely blamed the unplanned construction of the building for the tragedy. |
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