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RESCUE TEAMS AT the site of a collapsed factory block in Bangladesh where 363 people have died called in heavy-lifting equipment on Sunday as hopes of finding more survivors faded.
Four people were hauled out alive overnight more than 90 hours after the disaster, but the last feeble cries for help, still audible from inside the mountain of rubble early in the day, appeared to have ended.
“Apparently there is no more sign of life under the rubble,” national fire chief Ahmed Ali told AFP. “Together with the army we have decided to use heavy equipment like cranes to remove the debris and slabs vertically from midday today.”
Rescuers have been only using hand tools such as cutters and drills, fearing the use of cranes would dislodge masonry and jeopardise the chances of survival of those still trapped alive.
Hundreds of army and fire personnel, as well as workers from the factory who volunteered to help, were still pouring over the disaster site, gulping air freshener to conceal the overpowering stench of decomposing bodies.
“Our hope is that we may still find some people alive under the debris,” Ali said. “We shall use cranes very carefully so that it does not harm the chances of survival of people still alive inside.”
Image: Kevin Frayer/AP/Press Association Images
Dozens of bodies can be seen inside the concrete mountain, meaning the death toll for the country’s worst industrial accident is set rise further.
It has once again focused attention on the poor safety conditions in the Bangladeshi garment industry, which is the world’s second biggest after China, supplying to most big Western clothing brands.
Britain’s Primark and Spain’s Mango have acknowledged their products were made in the block, while other brands including Walmart are investigating.
The accident has prompted new accusations from activists that Western firms place profit before safety by sourcing their products from a country where textile workers often earn less than $40 a month.
As outrage over the country’s worst industrial disaster spread at home and abroad, police made a string of arrests on Saturday after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina vowed to hunt down those responsible.
Proprietors Bazlus Samad and Mahmudur Rahman Tapash were detained soon after midnight while Aminul Islam, owner of two factories based in the doomed building, was arrested Saturday night, police told AFP.
They faced preliminary charges of causing death by negligence, they said
Five factories were based in the complex at Savar, just outside Dhaka.
Countrywide search
The government has also launched a massive search for owners of two other factories and the overall proprietor of the complex, reportedly a ruling party official, after a minister alleged he built the compound without permits.
The local government deputy minister, Jahangir Kabir, identified the compound owner as Sohel Rana as police reported the man had gone into hiding.
Senior investigating officer Kaiser Matubbor said two municipal engineers who gave the building the all-clear after an inspection on Tuesday were also arrested and could face charges of death due to negligence.
Survivors said the complex developed cracks Tuesday, but bosses ordered staff to return to the production lines.
Deputy administrator of Dhaka district Zillur Rahman Chowdhury told AFP that the “death toll is now 363″, with more than 2,400 people rescued alive since Wednesday.
Hundreds of relatives of missing workers massed at the site to watch as bodies were pulled from the debris and laid on a school ground for identification.
“Please give my daughter dead or alive. Her two year-old daughter cries all the time to see her mom,” said a woman holding photo of her child.
“It’s five days we have been here. We’ve been to every hospital. But she was not there,” said.
There is no official figure of the number of people still missing.
As the cranes prepared to get to work, hope was turning to anger amid criticism of the slow pace of efforts, with some experts decrying a lack of coordination in the operation.
“I’ve been here since Wednesday. We still don’t know what happened to my aunt and sister-in-law,” said Harunur Rashid, clutching photos of his relatives.
“There are so many people, yet too little work,” he said.
With many of Bangladesh’s 4,500 factories shut due to protests, bosses declared Saturday and Sunday a holiday.
Several thousand garment workers protested on Saturday near the disaster site but they were dispersed by police firing rubber bullets and tear gas.
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Very few in the Dail would have any experience with Guns…..
The Healy-Raes would probably be the best bet…….
Jez tom theres a few shinners ta start with…….
Gerry Adams would be well able to shoot any attacker, it wouldn’t be fatal though as the shots wouldn’t reach above the knees
The dail has a fully armed compliment. They’ve been there about 18 months.
This poor man is now the number one target for IS in Canada. I hope he gets the protection he needs.
Ah they would. Shooting themselves in the foot.
Jarry wouldn’t know anything about guns.
18 months more like 45 years…!!! Was on tour in there few years ago and came across armed soldiers and was told they patrol there 24/7 365
A true hero
the bullet would bunce of noonans head and kill someone across the floor to the left but he might have a flak jacket on him
Me thinks a bullet fired at Enda would pass through as he has no substance . Gerry of the RA would deflect the bullet and waffle on about it not being there meanwhile preserving it for later use . Noonan is so thick it would bounce and Joan could grab it and put a passage tax as it went by. In fact with so many RA sympathisers in the dail,the bullet would start running scared and look for a way out .
Lads, are you seriously making jokes about parliamentary shootings in this thread of all places?
A Canadian soldier died and MPs were sharpening flagpoles into spears to defend themselves. Who knows how many might have been killed if it hadn’t been for Kevin Vickers. If you don’t like our politicians that’s fine but using a Canadian tragedy to joke about it is vile. Terrorism isn’t fecking funny.
Poor form.
I really like this man, and not just for discharging his duty, but for how the emotion that comes from helping others, and being publicly thanked for it, made his quiet bravery quiver his face, no matter how hard he tried to be still and decorous.
True hero. Saved a lot of lives not least that of the Prime Minister.
Well done. Did his duty and then some!
As long as there are people like Kevin Vickers there will be no Caliphate.
To quote yourself fognostical ” praise the Lord and pass the ammunition”
The man is a true hero.
He is Charles and right now the world needs more like him but the jihadis are playing on the fact that the west has gone soft after years of living on welfare and never knowing how to fend for themselves. Strange that these words were written by a Canadian and she did not mention the RoP.
“He’s five feet two and he’s six feet four
He fights with missiles and with spears
He’s all of thirty-one and he’s only seventeen
He’s been a soldier for a thousand years
He’s a catholic, a Hindu, an Atheist, a Jane
A Buddhist and a Baptist and Jew
And he knows he shouldn’t kill and he knows he always will kill
You’ll for me my friend and me for you”
Buffy Sainte-Marie
‘Remember this has nothing to do with Islam…’ Yeah right, this death cult should be banned in western society, practising and teaching it banned. Then there would be no ‘home grown’ terrorists – all this brainwashing is obtained in the Mosque ( the breeding ground for fanatics ) week in week out killings killings killings – it is not a religion its a Mental Illness.
Well said, bang on the money.
The Canadian soldier killed by running over with a truck had nothing to do with the RoP either, nor did the killing of Lee Rigby or the stoning of the girl by her own father as reported here in the journal. This has nothing to do with the RoP either “A Christian woman who was given the death penalty last year for drinking water from a well reserved for Muslims in Pakistan has had her appeal against the sentence rejected by the Lahore high court.”
Then there was that beheading of an 82 year old woman in her London garden, which had absolutely nothing to do with Islam. It was a total coincidence that the perpetrator was a Muslim “revert” who had received warnings from his employer for trying to convert his colleagues when he was supposed to be working. No link here. Nothing to see. Move along.
I’m just happy to learn what RoP means.
If you’re wondering: Religion of Peace.
I choose to believe that he used the House of Commons mace to take down the shooter.
If this happened in Ireland he would be suspended by now and his gun taken away. The GSOC would be having a field day investigating his actions while every service in the state would be at the disposal of the ‘victims’ family. He’d be lucky to escape jail,
He was armed and trained for a reason and he stepped up to the plate when necessary. What you’re saying doesn’t make any sense.
If it happened here it would be dealt with by the small contingent from the defense forces that’s stationed at the dail while the guards there would be waiting for support from armed detectives or the ERU. Secondly no guard has gone to jail for shooting some one in the line of duty, thirdly GSOC investigations result in less guards going to jail or being disciplined per year then when when complaints against guards where investigated by other guards.
Canada a very cosmopolitan place and a wonderful country to work and live in
Should have shot Harper instead as he is the biggest terrorist in Canada.
I see that as a direct threat, the Journal should hand this over to the police. Nothing more dangerous in society than a terrorist sympathiser.
By pointing out the truth that Prime Minister Harper is the biggest terrorist in Canada, u obviously know very little about the man u wannabe Nazi.
And you do, Islamic terrorist wannabe…. go to Syria…. live with them.
In what part of my comment did u decide that I supported the western trained and funded Islamic State….never mentioned nothing about them, just pointed Harper out as a terrorist….nice try, better luck next time.
Oh, sorry, I did not know that when you say no, it does not mean you did not say yes. You have made your opinion clear in one foul sentence. Canada does mostly peacekeeping missions, or acts of terror in your language. Many Afghans make Canada home, and supported Canadian troops there. Also many Syrians, who too ask for the help in there home country. If you consider Harper the terrorist, what do you consider those who behead journalists, just reporting a story(or staged beheadings in your language)???? Or those who point a barrel at your head, children too and tell you to renounce your beliefs and join the religion of suffering??? What do you consider them, if you class Harper as a terrorist????
fans of David Cameron are terrorist sympathsers Graham
I am talking about Harper, not Canada, so don’t try to turn what I said….Just because Bush and Blair are terrorists doesn’t make their whole nations ones too.
Oh sorry again, well, please present evidence of Harper being a terrorist. Thank you.
Derek, what’s your basis on calling Harper a terrorist?
Ha. Never mentioned nothing. Well done on your englishing Derek.
Derek, you said western trained. So you have painted all in the west as terrorists. Idiot.
Have they caught the other fella yet?
No saying he acted alone
I wonder who would take down an assailant in the dail ” boom boom “
Barrett !
But only if the assailant was improperly dressed…
Adams, but then he’d deny doing it
The Canadians are very patriotic and it shows they appreciate the sacrifice their hero made. If it was this country the smart Asses would make jokes about him for a week or two and then look to have him charged for murder so they could revel in his misfortune. A recent incident at the dail where a guard tackled someone wielding a sword resulted in the poor unfortunate psycho getting some community service. The guard was vilified on this site by the anti police brigade. We are officially a banana republic.
durkin how is mursheen keeping
Hes sick and tired of working
have your say