NEW DELHI, May 12 (RIA Novosti) - Some 120 bodies have been pulled from the rubble of a collapsed industrial building near Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka, bringing the death toll to 1,155, local media said citing police sources.
Most of the bodies currently being recovered have decomposed beyond recognition, according to the BDNews24 news portal.
The rescue effort in Savar, an industrial suburb of the capital Dhaka, enters its 19th day on Sunday, with the exact number of missing persons still unknown. Workers, who had survived the collapse, suggested that over 5,500 people used to work at various outlets in the building.
A total of 2,500 people have been rescued, including a 19-year-old girl who was pulled from the rubble alive on Friday after being trapped for 17 days.
The eight-storey building housing garment factories collapsed on April 24 when thousands of workers were at their workplaces. Preliminary information from the investigation into the collapse suggests that it was caused by vibrations from four powerful generators installed in breach of safety requirements.
The architect of the building told local media that it was designed to house offices, not textile factories, and the supporting structures were too weak to withstand industrial strain. In addition, three storeys were added to the building illegally.
