The death toll rose to 1021 in Savar Rana Plaza collapse with the recovery of seven more bodies the debris till 8:00am Friday on the 17th day of the incident.Of them, a total of 710 bodies were identified and handed over to their families.
Confirming the death toll and body handover, Army control room said fire fighters, Red Crescent men led-by Army recovered seven more decomposed bodies from 6:00am to 8:00am.
On Wednesday, Army GOC Major General Chowdhury Hasan Suhrawardhy declared that rescue operation with heavy equipments would be closed within one or two day. But he said on Thursday that they will continue the rescue drive till single body is found.
Rescuers suspected that more bodies remained trapped under the collapsed building.
Rescue team is conducting the 2nd phase of the rescue operation with heavy equipments continued for the 12th consecutive day to recover last body from the rubble in the collapsed nine-storied building.
On April 24, the 9-storied building–Rana Plaza collapsed in Savar bus stand area of Dhaka which housed five garment factories, a branch of bank and a market.
Most of the bodies recovered on Thursday were decomposed and beyond recognition.
A total of 2,437 people have been rescued alive so far from the rubble of the building. Of them, nine succumbed to their injuries at different hospitals.
The second phase of the rescue operation by using heavy equipment continued for the 10th consecutive day Thursday.
Meanwhile, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 9th Infantry Division Major General Chowdhury Hasan Suhrawardy, who is coordinating the rescue operation, at a press briefing said the second phase rescue operation might be completed within two days.
The eight-storey building came down crashing on April 24. UNB
