24 bodies pulled from factory

2005-04-12 07:54

Palash Bari - Rescuers have recovered 24 bodies from the rubble of a nine-storey factory that collapsed in Bangladesh and trapped up to 200 people, officials said on Tuesday.

The garment factory, packed with people working the night-shift, caved in early on Monday after a boiler exploded.

Firefighters, the police and the army found four bodies overnight, said a spokesperson for the Rapid Action Battalion security force.

Around 100 people have been rescued but officials warned that the chances of finding more survivors alive were dwindling.

"At least three more days will be needed to remove the debris. The likelihood of survival for the trapped people is getting less all the time," said Salim Newaz Khan, director general of the Dhaka fire brigade.

Cranes would be used on Tuesday to remove some of the rubble, he said.

Most of those rescued from the building were injured, officials said.

Planning experts said the building at Palash Bari, 30km northwest of the capital Dhaka, appeared to have been built using poor quality concrete and on filled-in marshland.

- AFP