Savar toll crosses 1000

The death toll of Savar`s Rana Plaza collapse crossed 1000 on Friday morning with more bodies recovered from the site.

Savar Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 9 May 2013, 09:24 PM
Updated : 10 May 2013, 00:53 AM

The control room set up at the site said the death toll now stood at 1036 at 9:15am in the morning.

This is easily the world's worst incident of collapse of an industrial-commercial structure by itself.

The 9/11 Twin Towers tragedy led to more loss of lives but it was the result of an unprecedented terror strike and not a case of structural failure as the Rana Plaza collapse.

More bodies were showing up during rescue efforts at the back-side of the building where the staircases were located. Over a hundred bodies were found between Thursday to Friday morning.

Most of the bodies were mangled beyond recognition.

They are now being identified through ID cards or cell phones if they found with the bodies.

The Bangladesh Army says they have handed over 712 bodies to relatives until Friday morning.

After recovery, the bodies were being taken to local Adharchandra High School field for identification.

bdnews24.com Savar Correspondent reported that there were 111 bodies were lying there at this hour.

Meanwhile, Anjuman Mofidul Islam had buried 157 unclaimed bodies until Friday morning.

Rescuers said they could remove only the front portion of the nine-storied building. They were yet to reach the basement.

Operations at the back of the building began on Wednesday night. The debris of even one of the storeys could not be removed from there.

The rescue operation might take a few more days, according to Fire Brigade officials. However on Wednesday, a notice was hung saying salvaging may end within a day or two.

Bangladesh Army 9th Infantry Division GOC Maj Gen Chowdhury Hassan Suhrawardy, at a May 1 press briefing, had said 149 were missing until then.

However, from May 1 until Frisay morning, 630 bodies have been recovered.

Workers had claimed that there were more than 5,500 working in those five garment factories in the building.

Dhaka District Administrator Mohammad Yousuf Harun said 76 unclaimed bodies were buried in Jurain graveyard from Thursday noon to night. “A total of 156 unclaimed bodies have been buried.”

DNA samples of those unclaimed bodies are being preserved for any future claims.