Death toll rises to 153

Savar Building Collapse

SAVAR, DHAKA: At least 153 garments workers have been found dead and more than 1000 others injured as an 8-storied building--Rana Plaza--collapsed in Savar bus stand area of Dhaka on Wednesday morning.
The rescue team identified some 108 bodies and handed over to family and relatives to 8:41am on Thursday.
Death toll may rise as many others were trapped in the collapsed building.
Police and hospital sources confirmed the matter to banglanews.
Army, RAB, police, fire service personnel and locals were conducting rescue mission. There were few garments and shops in the building.

UPDATE-8, 08:38am Thursday: Police and hospital sources confirmed that 153 bodies were recovered and 45 injured were rescued from the debris of the collapsed building.
Savar thana police and Rajdhani Unnayan Kortripakka filed two cases against owner of building and five owners of garment factories early Thursday.
UPDATE-7, 09:51pm: Rescue team recovered 120 bodies from the collapse building till filing this report.
Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has formed a medical team for providing aid to the injured workers.
Main opposition BNP is set to mourn Thursday the tragic death of Savar garment workers.
UPDATE-6, 04:15pm: Correspondents and sources from the spot confirmed that the death toll in the incident has crossed 100.
BNP-led 18-party alliance withdrew the countrywide 36-hour hartal, started from Tuesday, to ease the rescue operations.

Home Minister MK Alamgir categorically said legal measures would be taken against the authority of the building -- Rana Plaza, if any violation of building code found after investigation.
The injured workers of the Rana Plaza collapse alleged that they had been compelled to join work Wednesday.
The workers, who were admitted into Savar Enam Medical College, said, “We denied to join work Wednesday being aware of fractures in the building on Tuesday.”
They also alleged that garments authorities forced them to enter the risky building on Tuesday.
UPDATE-5, 01:15pm: Health Minister AFM Ruhal Haque told a private TV channel that the death toll rose to 70 in the building collapse.
Doctors of Savar Enam Medical College said there were 40 dead bodies of the collapse victims in the hospital morgue.
UPDATE-4, 12:50pm: Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) president Atikul Islam visited the spot.
Medical teams of Health Ministry, Army, Red-Crescent and other private medical are giving primary treatment to the injured workers.
GOC Major General Chowdhury Hasan Sarwardy urged all adjacent hospitals and clinics to preserve sufficient bloods for the injured.
UPDATE-3, 11:50am: Fire service director (Operation) Major Mahbub and UNO Kabir Hossain confirmed the death toll of 28 to banglanews.
BNP-led 18-party alliance declared Savar out of the purview of hartal over high-rise collapse.
BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia expressed her condolence over the causalities in the incident and urged all to provide help in rescuing the trapped people.
UPDATE-2, 11:25am: General officer Commanding of Ninth Infantry Division Major General Chowdhury Hasan Sarwardy said, “Army is conducting rescue mission and nothing can be said till the mission ends.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is closely observing the incident and ordered three unit of Army instantly to start rescue mission.

UPDATE-1, 11:04am: Owner of the building, Rana, has been rescued from the basement of the collapsed building. He has been taken to hospital.