Savar building collapse deaths cross 200

Death toll in Rana Plaza collapse increased to 204 till Thursday afternoon and many more are feared trapped under the debris.

A temporary control room has been set up near the Savar bus stand to provide information to the distraught families. “204 dead bodies have been brought out till 4:33pm,” Savar Model Police Station Sub-Inspector Alam said.

153 bodies have already been handed over to relatives, he said.

Meanwhile, Dhaka District Administration formed a probe panel to ascertain the cause of the collapse. Additional District Magistrate Monoj Kumar Roy will head the panel. It has been asked to submit the report within 15 working days.

Meanwhile, site of the tragedy was teeming with crowd who were frantically looking for their trapped relatives and friends.

The rescue effort was however progressing in a slow pace in the absence of proper equipments and trained manpower to handle such catastrophe.

Fire Service and Civil Defence and Bangladesh Army were assisting rescue works. Locals have also joined the operation.

In charge of the rescue operations Brig Gen Siddiqul Alam of Bangladesh Army’s 9th infantry division, said rescue operation would continue till all the debris are cleared.

Rescuers said it might take two days to complete the operation.

The high-rise Rana Plaza caved in on Wednesday morning. Locals said around 3,500 workers of the four garment factories were working when the tragedy struck.

The building had showed cracks on Tuesday. But the building owner, a leader of the ruling Awami League’s youth wing, Sohel Rana had dismissed them as ‘nothing serious’.

Industrial police had confirmed that owners had decided to operate the factories housed in the building ignoring potential danger.

Following the tragedy, Bangladesh government had declared Thursday as national mourning day. The national flag was to be kept at half mast throughout the day in all government, semi-government and autonomous institutions.