Confusion over deaths, missing

The death toll in the worst building collapse was revised down on Sunday.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 28 April 2013, 10:03 AM
Updated : 28 April 2013, 11:37 AM

Savar police Inspector Aminur Rahman put the count in Wednesday's Rana Plaza collapse at 377 at around 3pm. He earlier had said the figure was 397.

"There was some mistake in the count," the police officer in charge at the Adhar Chandra School – the place where bodies were being kept – said.

He added a total of 320 bodies were handed over to the relatives and 57 more, awaiting recognition, were sent to the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital and Mitford Hospital.

Similar 'confusions' were also looming over the number of people still missing.

Although, authorities earlier said the number is 1168, Sub-Inspector Abdul Alim said they were not being able to count the number properly at this moment due to "lack of time."

Monir Hossain, Savar district’s Assistant Superintendent of Police, however, said they had started making a list on computers from Sunday.

The rescue at the site is being carried out quite loosely.

Heavy machinery and equipment are expected to be used anytime now to clear the debris.

Inter Services Public Relations Directorate (ISPR) Director Md Shaheenul Islam said they were still looking for survivors through seven holes drilled at the site.

Nine-storey commercial building Rana Plaza collapsed on Wednesday morning, a day after cracks appeared on its wall. Several hundreds have been injured in the incident.

Relentless efforts are being made since the day of the collapse to salvage those still alive inside the rubble of the building.

The building was erected over 56 decimals of land. Now only three stories are standing above the ground.

The building housed five garment units, a bank branch, and shops of electronics, computers, cosmetics and clothes.