The horrific destruction of a building in Bangladesh where numerous garment factories operated has exacted a deadly toll. Almost 200 are now considered dead, and that number could easily grow.
A frantic search is under way to try to reach any possible survivors. Volunteers are trying with great difficulty and risk to find survivors still trapped inside.
The building collapse was catastrophic, although the outside structure looked solid. And that's because the building, much like the ones in Haiti, have no steel soul, and can easily collapse like a stack of pancakes, even if cast in solid cement.
To make matters worse, the building owners knew that the collapse was imminent. Cracks had begun to appear on Tuesday that prompted warnings from the authorities. The owners of the factory are now at large and believed to be on the run.
Some estimates say that there could be hundreds more trapped within the rubble, alive or dead. If the crowd attending the rescue effort is any indication, the numbers could be very high indeed. There are thousands of family members surrounding the building ruins.
Some estimates place the number of workers at the Rana Plaza building garment factory at 2000 on Wednesday morning, the day of the disaster.
The building structure is still extremely unsafe, and heavy machinery must be used to move the heavy slabs and pilings that made up the collapsed structure.
Screams for help can be heard from the rubble. Some are within reach and water is being passed on to to them.
More than 1,000 injured were brought to neighboring hospitals.
Some say that the building owner had illegally added three stories illegaly.
However, some in the New York garment district blame the United States garment distributors for forcing prices down, which in turn translates in unsafe condition in garment factories in Bangladesh. The country's competitiveness comes from its ability to offer the lower cost at the expense of worker pay and conditions.
Source: BBC 4.25.13
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