Death toll in Bangladesh factory collapse soars to 507 as disaster becomes second deadliest of modern times

The death toll from the Bangladesh factory which collapsed last week has now passed 500 after another 29 bodies were pulled from the rubble overnight.
Hundreds of workers were inside the eight-storey building near the capital of Dhaka when it collapsed into rubble last week, many of whom are still unaccounted for.
The Rana Plaza housed five garment factories and with the new death toll of 507, the disaster is now ranked the second most deadly structural failure in modern times after 9/11.

Mass burial: The bodies of 34 unidentified garment workers killed when the Rana Plaza building collapsed in Bangaladesh have been interred in a mass burial a week after the disaster

Tragedy: Several hundred people attended the mass burial in Dhaka today, which took place amid calls for the owner of the collapsed building, Mohammed Sohel Rana, to face the death penalty

The collapse was caused by four powergenerators located on the roof, the head of a government inquiry into the disaster said today.
The four generators started up when the power was cut following an earthquake, and this may have caused the building to fall in on itself.
'Together with the vibrations of thousands of sewing machines, they triggered the collapse,' investigator Main Uddin Khandaker said.
Nine people have been arrested over the disaster which is thought to have been caused by the owner Mohammed Sohel Rana illegally adding floors to the building.
Yesterday, hundreds attended a mass burial for 34 unclaimed victims who were too battered or decomposed to be identified.
As the bodies of the unclaimed victims were placed in the graves, men and boys recited a traditional Muslim prayer for the dead.

A country in mourning: A crowd gathered in front of the row of graves at the traditional Muslim funeral today, following the horrific collapse that exposed the unsafe conditions plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry

Death toll: Dozens of unclaimed bodies were buried in Dhaka today in the wake of the horrific accident, which claimed the lives of more than 400 workers

Workers at the cemetery have dug several long rows of graves as authorities expect to bury scores more unidentified bodies in the coming days.
Five garment factories were housed in the illegally constructed Rana Plaza building that collapsed last week, five months after a fire killed 112 people at another clothing factory. The tragedies exposed the unsafe conditions plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which supplies many European and American retailers.
EU officials are considering action including changes to Bangladesh's duty-free and quota-free access to the giant EU market to 'incentivise' responsible management of the nation's garment industry.
Pressure built inside Bangladesh as well, as a May Day procession of workers on foot, in pick-up trucks and on motorcycles wound its way through central Dhaka demanding safe working conditions and capital punishment for the building's owner. They waved the national flag and banners, beat drums and chanted 'Direct action!' and 'Death penalty!'.

Anger: The building collapse, in which at least 410 people died and 2,500 were injured, was the worst industrial disaster in the country's history

Sorrow: The European Union is considering trade action against Bangladesh, which has preferential access to EU markets for its garments, in order to pressure Dhaka to improve safety standards after the building collapse killed hundreds of factory workers

Consequences: Rescue workers fear the death toll could rise even further after the collapse, which reduced the building filled with workers to an estimated 600 tons of rubble

From a loudspeaker on the back of a truck, a participant spoke for the group: 'My brother has died. My sister has died. Their blood will not be valueless.'
Rescue workers expect the number of dead to rise because they believe many bodies are still buried on the ground level of the building.
There is confusion over how many people remain missing.
The owner of the building, Mohammed Sohel Rana, is under arrest and expected to be charged with negligence, illegal construction and forcing workers to join work, which is punishable by a maximum of seven years in jail.
Protesters demanded capital punishment for Rana, 38, a small-time political operative with the ruling Awami League party.
'I want the death penalty for the owner of the building. We want regular salaries, raises and absolutely we want better safety in our factories,' said Mongidul Islam Rana, 18, who works in a different garment factory.

'Their blood will not be valueless': The owner of the building is expected to be charged with negligence, illegal construction and forcing workers to join work - which is punishable by a maximum of seven years in jail

Fury: The owner of the collapsed building, Mohammed Sohel Rana, was seen wearing a police-issue helmet and body armour as he was escorted from a hearing at the High Court in Bangladesh yesterday

The Bangladesh High Court has ordered the government to confiscate Rana's property and freeze the assets of the owners of the factories in Rana Plaza so the money can be used to pay the salaries of their workers.
Rana had permission to build five storeys but added three more illegally. When huge cracks appeared in the building a day before its collapse, police ordered an evacuation, but Rana told tenants it was safe.
The next day, a bank and some shops refused to open but factory managers told their workers to go back in. Hours later the building came down in a heap of concrete.
Rescuers estimate the building turned into 600 tons of rubble, of which 350 tons have been removed.

DAILYMAIL