Bangladesh building collapse kills over 147

DHAKA - The death toll from Wednesday's building collapse in Savar on the outskirts of Bangladesh's capital Dhaka has climbed to 147, and nearly 2,000 others were injured, a police official said Thursday morning.  

In the collapse of the building Rana Plaza, which is reported to be one of the worst building collapses ever in Bangladesh, officials say hundreds of people with severe injuries have been rushed to the hospitals for treatment.

Rescue workers try to rescue trapped garment workers in the Rana Plaza building which collapsed, in Savar, 30 km (19 miles) outside Dhaka April 24, 2013. [Photo/Agencies]

"The death toll from the building collapse has climbed to 147," Wali Ashraf, a police official at a control room set up to provide information about the disaster fatalities, told Xinhua Thursday morning.

Fire servicemen and army personnel worked frantically through the whole night to rescue people who are still believed to be trapped inside.

Fire Services Director Mahbubur Rahman said 1,600 people have so far been rescued after the eight-storey building in Savar on the outskirts of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka collapsed on Wednesday morning. Most of the rescued people sustained injuries and were rushed to the hospitals, he said.

Doctors Wednesday night said the death toll could rise as some of those injured are in critical condition.

Officials say rescue operation in the building which contained four garment factories, a bank's branch and hundreds of shops has been continuing without any break since Wednesday morning.

But they say it's not still clear how many people remain trapped in the wreckage and rescuers fear the death toll may rise significantly.

It was reported that only the first floor of the building remained intact.

The authorities asked to close the building after it developed cracks Tuesday, but the factory owners reportedly defied the restriction.

It is not known exactly how many workers were inside when the building collapsed. But sources said several thousand workers used to work in the four factories.

Building collapses are common in Bangladesh as many multi- storey blocks are built in violation of rules with inadequate supervision.

At least 110 people were killed in a garment factory fire in Ashulia on the outskirts of Dhaka in November 2012.