761 people still missing in Savar tragedy

Rescuers have come up with a list of 761 people who are still missing in the worst building collapse in the country.

The list has been made as per information given by the relatives of those who used to work inside the Rana Plaza, Savar Model Police Station Inspector (Investigation) Aminur Rahman told bdnews24.com.

”We have put the names on the list checking the identity cards and photos of those missing until 12am on Saturday,” he said.

The high-rise commercial building came crushing down on Wednesday morning. According to local people, around 3,500 employees were working in the five garment factories inside when the tragedy struck.

Since then, thousands of people thronged the site with photos to get their relatives dead or alive.

Rescuers have pulled out more than 2,348 people alive from the ruins so far.

A temporary control room has been set up near the Savar Bus Stand close to the site of the disaster to provide the distressed families with information.

Official estimates put the deaths at 304 at 5:35pm Friday, Inspector (Investigation) Aminur Rahman of the Savar Model Station told bdnews24.com

So far, 286 bodies have been handed over to the relatives, he said and added that 23 bodies have been sent to the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital as they had started to decompose.

Shafiul Alam is one of those anxious about the fate of his dear ones at the site.

His niece Nazma Akhter,20, who hails from Barisal’s Tungibaria is missing.

Alam told bdnews24.com Nazma had joined the EtherTex on the fifth floor of the nine-storey commercial building only a year ago.

“I have looked everywhere … nearby hospitals, CMH, the row of dead bodies being piled up on the ground, but did not find her,” he said.

People like Lutfor Rahman, Awal Bepari also have come there from across Bangladesh to locate their relatives.

Saturday 27 April 2013 http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2013/04/26/761-people-still-missing-in-savar-tragedy