More than two weeks after a factory collapsed in Bangladesh, trapping workers in a mangled concrete heap, the death toll has surpassed 900.
Authorities pulled more bodies from the rubble, bringing the number of people killed to 912, officials said Thursday. The April 24 collapse occurred in Savar, a suburb of the capital, Dhaka.
Rescue workers saved more than 2,400 people in the aftermath of the collapse, but have focused on using heavy machinery to uncover bodies buried beneath the ruins.
The building, which housed five factories full of garment workers, caved in, burying hundreds of people in a heap of concrete.
It is the South Asian nation’s deadliest industrial disaster.
The owners of the building and the factories are under investigation over accusations they ordered workers to enter the premises on the day of the collapse despite cracks in the structure the day before.
Bangladesh’s $20 billion garment industry accounts for 77% of the country’s exports.
Among those caught up in the finger-pointing after the building collapse disaster are Western retailers and clothing brands that Bangladeshi suppliers say put heavy pressure on prices, resulting in bad pay and conditions for workers
[www.cnn.com]
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