Bangladesh Death Toll Won't Stop Rising
The death toll from Bangladesh's horrific factory collapse has topped 650 people, and rescuers believe there could be dozens, if not hundreds, more bodies still trapped inside. Workers have switched to heavy construction equipment to sift through the mountains of rubble and given up hope finding anyone else alive.
RELATED: Bangladesh Factory Fire Now Labeled a Case of Mysterious 'Sabotage'
The "last" victim was nearly saved more than a week ago, as rescuers scrambled to pull a 32-year-old woman out of the rubble alive. Unfortunately, in the final attempt to her free, a fire started that killed her and one of the rescuers. More than 2,400 people were rescued from the building in the first few days after the collapse, but the official death toll as of Monday afternoon was 657.
RELATED: Bangladesh Workers Sent Back into Crumbling Building Before It Collapsed
Local authrories are planning to pursue murder charges against the owner of the factory, who ignored building codes and safety measures, when he illegally added three floors and allowed tenants to install heavy equipment. Engineers say the building was not designed to hold manufacturing equipment (it was originally meant to be a mall), and that rumbling from larger generators and machinery contributed to the weakening of the building. The owners of some the businesses may also be held responsible for sending workers back into the building even after structural problems were discovered. Murder convictions in Bangladesh can result in a death penalty.
RELATED: Death Toll at the Bangladesh Garment Factory Collapse Is Much Higher Than We Thought
Unrest in the capital city of Dhaka only added to the nation's woes this weekend, only this time the protests were not coming from angry garment workers and victims families. Islamist organizations launched massive demonstrations on Sunday calling for a new anti-blasphemy law to be passed, but the protest turned violent as clashes with riot police left 14 people dead. Three more security officers were killed on Monday as protests spread beyond Dhaka. The leader of the Islamic coalition group, Hefazat-e Islam, was taken into police custody and removed from the capital, but police were careful to say he had not been arrested.
RELATED: Death Toll at Bangladesh Factory Rises to 300, but Hope Remains for Survivors
With hundreds of families in Savar still waiting to learn the fate of loved who worked in the collapsed building, the last thing Bangladesh needs is more chaos and tragedy.
