Bangladesh garment trade blamed as death toll hits 175

SAVAR (AFP) Ñ Survivors cried out to rescuers yesterday from the rubble of a block of garment factories in Bangladesh that collapsed, killing 175 people and sparking criticism of their Western clients.

As the plaintive appeals from the site of Bangladesh’s worst industrial disaster filtered through the concrete, relatives desperate for news of their loved ones descended on the scene clutching their photographs.

Flags ßew at half-mast and a day of national mourning was declared after the latest tragedy to strike Bangladesh’s garment industry, a key driver of the impoverished nation’s economy that has a shocking safety record.

More than 1,000 people were injured when the eightstory building, housing five garment factories on the outskirts of Dhaka, imploded on Wednesday, after managers allegedly ignored workers’ warnings that the building had become unstable.

“The death toll is now 175,” said Wali Asraf, a senior police officer in the disaster control room.

Authorities said they do not know how many people are still trapped under the mountain of concrete, but firefighters said they could still hear desperate cries for help from multiple places.

“I just heard someone saying ‘ please save me’,” said Mamun Mahmud, a senior fire- fighting official, adding that about 1,500 people had so far been rescued.