BANGLADESH: Burning Garment Factory Collapses, 225 Dead

Fire investigators say the blaze broke out after rags on the ground caught fire.

A fire broke out in the debris of the collapsed multi-storied Rana Plaza at Savaramid

(DHAKA, Bangladesh) - A garment factory fire that would claim the lives of well over 200 people, was first observed around 10:30 p.m. Thursday.

NPR reports that the Readymade Garment Factory produced cheap retail items for WalMart in America.

It only took about 15 minutes for firefighters to bring the fire under control, but it wasn't fast enough to save the lives of at least 255 factory workers trapped inside.

At this point local sources report that around 170 bodies have been recovered. It is the worst death toll from a building collapse. More than 2,000 people escaped with their lives.

Rescue efforts have been non-stop and will continue until Saturday.

That is when firefighters will begin the wreckage removal process, Civil Defence Director Mohammad Zahidul Islam told BD24News Thursday afternoon.

Not surprisingly, local residents took to the streets carrying sticks, demanding the arrest of Mohammad Sohel Rana, a local leader of Juba League who owns the building.

TK