28 more bodies retrieved

In this May 4 photo, rescuers are seen taking a body recovered from the rubble of the collapsed Rana Plaza at Savar, an outskirt area of the capital.

Rescuers pulled out 28 more bodies from the rubble of the Rana Plaza at Savar as the rescue operation stepped into 13th straight day early Monday.

With the fresh recovery, the death toll in the nine-story building collapse reached 661.

The bodies were recovered in 17 hours since midnight, according to police control room in Savar. The camp was opened soon after the building collapsed building.

A total of 523 bodies were handed over to the victims’ families while 26 were kept in Adhar Chandra High School playground for identification till Sunday. Another 65 bodies were kept in different hospital morgues of the capital including Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

According to the Inter Services Public Relations control room, the number of people rescued alive were 2,437.

Rana Plaza, which housed several garment factories, collapsed on April 24 after owners forced several thousand workers to work there despite cracks had developed on some pillars and floors the day before.

It is still unclear how many workers were there on that fateful day.