Dozens found alive in Bangladesh factory wreckage

Dozens of workers were found alive Thursday as they huddled in the wreckage of a collapsed garment factory bloc in Bangladesh, a rare success for rescuers who have pulled out 256 bodies.

In an announcement greeted by wild applause from thousands of relatives at the scene, an army spokesman initially announced that 40 survivors had been discovered together in a room, but the figure was later revised to 24.

Earlier, the national fire service chief said 20 people had been rescued.

Screams filtering through the cracks in the concrete suggested more survivors were awaiting help, but a steady stream of bodies saw the recorded death toll almost double on Thursday and hundreds remain unaccounted for.

Working with floodlights and hand torches, rescuers crawled through the cracks and pulled out three woman garment workers alive from the rubble at 11.30pm Bangladesh time (1730GMT), fire service director Mahbubur Rahman said.

“We’ve also located several pockets inside the wreckage where many people are still trapped. We could hear their screams. They’re given food, water and oxygen,” he told AFP, adding around 1,500 people so far have been rescued alive.

The collapse of the building on Wednesday on the outskirts of the capital is the worst industrial accident in the country’s history and is the latest in a spate of tragedies in the “Made in Bangladesh” clothing sector.

It prompted new criticism of Western brands who were accused by activists of placing profit before safety by sourcing their products from the country despite its shocking track record of deadly disasters.

Hundreds of thousands of workers walked out of their factories in solidarity with their dead colleagues on Thursday as flags flew at half mast and a national day of mourning was held.

“The death toll is now 256,” police sub-inspector Wali Asraf, told AFP from the disaster site, adding more bodies were being recovered and that most of those who died are female garment workers.

Safety problems and poor working conditions plague the textile industry in Bangladesh, the world’s second-biggest clothing exporter after China.

Last November a blaze at a factory making products for Walmart and other Western labels left 111 people dead, with survivors describing how fire exits were kept locked by site managers.

Only British low-cost fashion line Primark and Spanish giant Mango have acknowledged having their products made in the collapsed factory bloc, while a host of brands including Wal-Mart and France’s Carrefour are investigating.