Rana Plaza collapse

For the 2005 collapse of a garment factory in Dhaka, see 2005 Dhaka garment factory collapse.

Rana Plaza Collapse
Side view of the collapsed building
Date24 April 2013 (11 years ago)
Time08:45 am BST (UTC+06:00)[1]
LocationSavar Upazila, Dhaka District, Bangladesh
Coordinates23°50′46″N 90°15′27″E / 23.84611°N 90.25750°E / 23.84611; 90.25750
Also known asSavar building collapse
Deaths1,134[2]
Non-fatal injuries~2,500[3]
SuspectsSohel Rana
ChargesMurder

The Rana Plaza collapse (also referred to as the Savar building collapse or the collapse of Rana Plaza) occurred on 24 April 2013, when the eight-storey "Rana Plaza" commercial building collapsed due to a structural failure. The rescue team's search ended on 13 May 2013, with a confirmed death toll of 1,134.[2] Approximately 2,500 injured people were rescued from the building.[4] It is considered as one of the deadliest structural failures in modern human history, as well as the deadliest garment-factory disaster in history, and the deadliest industrial accident in the history of Bangladesh.[5][6][7] Amnesty International called this "The most shocking recent example of business-related human rights abuse."[8]

The building housed five garment factories, a bank, and apartments. It was constructed in 2006 on the site of a former pond, and was built without proper permits.[9] The fifth through eighth floors were added onto the building without supporting walls; the heavy equipment from the garment factories was more than the structure could support.[10][11][12][13] On 23 April 2013, large cracks were discovered in the building. The shops and the bank on the lower floors immediately closed, but the garment factory owners on the upper floors ignored the warnings and forced the workers to return to work the following day. On 24 April, the building collapsed at 9:00 am local time, trapping thousands of people inside.[14]

The court in Bangladesh formally charged 38 people with murder, along with the building owner Sohel Rana. Rana was arrested after a four-day manhunt, as he attempted to flee across the border to India. A total of 41 defendants faced charges over the collapse of the complex. Of the 41 people charged, 35 (including Rana) appeared before the court and pleaded not guilty. Rana was not granted bail. He was charged with corruption again in 2017; the trials continue to this day.[15][16]

The collapse of Rana Plaza was a major turning point in the Bangladesh garment industry. It led to widespread protests and calls for better safety standards.[17] In the aftermath of the disaster, the Bangladesh government passed a new law that requires all garment factories to be inspected by a government-approved agency.[18] The Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, commonly referred to as the Bangladesh Accord, was established in response to the Rana Plaza disaster. Signed on May 15, 2013, the Bangladesh Accord is a five-year, independent, legally binding agreement between global brands, retailers, and trade unions. Its primary goal is to ensure the health and safety of workers in Bangladesh’s Ready-Made Garment (RMG) industry.[19]

  1. ^ Mollah, Shaheen; Bin Habib, Wasim (25 April 2013). "It crumbles like a pack of cards". The Daily Star. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
  2. ^ a b Tansy, Hopkins (23 April 2015). "Reliving the Rana Plaza factory collapse: a history of cities in 50 buildings, day 22". The Observer. London. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  3. ^ "Bangladesh building collapse death toll over 800". BBC News. 8 May 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  4. ^ Alam, Julhas; Hossain, Farid (13 May 2013). "Bangladesh collapse search over; death toll 1,127". Yahoo News. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
  5. ^ "Bangladesh building collapse death toll passes 500". BBC News. 3 May 2013. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
  6. ^ Alam, Julhas; Hossain, Farid (2 May 2013). "Bangladesh Building Collapse Death Toll Tops 500; Engineer Whistleblower Arrested". HuffPost. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 29 June 2013. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
  7. ^ The worst industrial disasters in Bangladesh since 2005, Dhaka Tribune, June 5, 2022
  8. ^ "Rana Plaza disaster: The unholy alliance of business and government in Bangladesh, and around the world". Amnesty International. 24 April 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  9. ^ Ahmed, Farid (25 April 2013). "Bangladesh building collapse kills at least 123, injures more than 1,000". CNN. Retrieved 24 April 2013.
  10. ^ Goodwin, Jacqueline (20 April 2021). "The Rana Plaza Collapse: What Happened & What it Means for Fashion". Grow Ensemble. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  11. ^ "Bangladesh Dhaka building collapse leaves 87 dead". BBC News. 24 April 2013.
  12. ^ "80 dead, 800 hurt in Savar high-rise collapse". bdnews24.com. 24 April 2013. Retrieved 24 April 2013.
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference telegraph was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ "Unpacking the Rana Plaza Factory Collapse of 2013 - SANNA Conscious Concept". sannaconsciousconcept.com. 24 April 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  15. ^ "Bail of Rana Plaza owner Sohel Rana decried". New Age. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  16. ^ "Rana Plaza collapse: Sohel Rana jailed for corruption". BBC News. 29 August 2017. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  17. ^ "Bangladeshis Burn Factories to Protest Unsafe Conditions (Published 2013)". 26 April 2013. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  18. ^ "Clothiers Act to Inspect Bangladeshi Factories (Published 2013)". 7 July 2013. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  19. ^ "ILO welcomes accord on Building and Fire Safety in Bangladesh". www.ilo.org. 14 May 2013. Retrieved 18 August 2023.