Reportedly, 124 people were killed and more than 800 badly injured in Savar on the outskirts of Dhaka on Wednesday when a nine-storey building that housed several readymade garment factories and shops collapsed.
One hundred and twenty four bodies, mostly of low-paid garment workers, were pulled out from debris. The government has announced a national mourning on Thursday.
Authorities fear that the death toll may rise as many people are trapped inside the building. Fire brigade and army men joined the police and volunteers in rescue efforts.
Many workers at the garment factories claimed the owners compelled them to rejoin work on Wednesday even after several cracks developed on the building on Tuesday and all the staff of the factories were evacuated. A garment factory collapse in Savar in 2005 left 64 workers dead.
