South Asia correspondent Michael Edwards and staff
Posted April 26, 2013 06:51:30
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has promised to punish the owner of a factory complex that collapsed in the country's capital of Dhaka, killing hundreds.
Rescuers have already pulled out 256 bodies, with fears for hundreds more still missing after the factory collapsed with thousands inside.
The owner of the building was warned that it was unstable in the days before the collapse.
Survivors said the building developed visible cracks on Tuesday evening, but factory bosses had demanded staff return to the production lines despite a police evacuation order.
Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has vowed to bring the owner to justice.
"Those who're involved, especially the owner who forced the workers to work there, will be punished," she said.
"Wherever he is, he will be found and brought to justice."
Teams continue to sift through the wreckage for survivors, recovering dozens of workers alive and huddled in the same room.
Fire service director Mahbubur Rahman says around 1,500 people have been rescued alive.
"We've also located several pockets inside the wreckage where many people are still trapped," he said.
"We could hear their screams. They're given food, water and oxygen."
Home minister Muhiddin Khan told reporters the eight-storey building, allegedly owned by a ruling party official, did not have valid construction permits.
Police filed a case accusing the owner of death due to negligence.
The collapse of the building on Wednesday on the outskirts of the capital is the worst industrial accident in the country's history and is the latest in a spate of tragedies in the "Made in Bangladesh" clothing sector.
It prompted new criticism of Western brands who were accused by activists of placing profit before safety by sourcing their products from the country despite its shocking track record of deadly disasters.
Hundreds of thousands of workers walked out of their factories in solidarity with their dead colleagues on Thursday as flags flew at half mast and a national day of mourning was held.
ABC/Wires
Topics: disasters-and-accidents, manufacturing, law-crime-and-justice, bangladesh, asia
Posted April 26, 2013 06:51:30
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has promised to punish the owner of a factory complex that collapsed in the country's capital of Dhaka, killing hundreds.
Rescuers have already pulled out 256 bodies, with fears for hundreds more still missing after the factory collapsed with thousands inside.
The owner of the building was warned that it was unstable in the days before the collapse.
Survivors said the building developed visible cracks on Tuesday evening, but factory bosses had demanded staff return to the production lines despite a police evacuation order.
Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has vowed to bring the owner to justice.
"Those who're involved, especially the owner who forced the workers to work there, will be punished," she said.
"Wherever he is, he will be found and brought to justice."
Teams continue to sift through the wreckage for survivors, recovering dozens of workers alive and huddled in the same room.
Fire service director Mahbubur Rahman says around 1,500 people have been rescued alive.
"We've also located several pockets inside the wreckage where many people are still trapped," he said.
"We could hear their screams. They're given food, water and oxygen."
Home minister Muhiddin Khan told reporters the eight-storey building, allegedly owned by a ruling party official, did not have valid construction permits.
Police filed a case accusing the owner of death due to negligence.
The collapse of the building on Wednesday on the outskirts of the capital is the worst industrial accident in the country's history and is the latest in a spate of tragedies in the "Made in Bangladesh" clothing sector.
It prompted new criticism of Western brands who were accused by activists of placing profit before safety by sourcing their products from the country despite its shocking track record of deadly disasters.
Hundreds of thousands of workers walked out of their factories in solidarity with their dead colleagues on Thursday as flags flew at half mast and a national day of mourning was held.
ABC/Wires
Topics: disasters-and-accidents, manufacturing, law-crime-and-justice, bangladesh, asia