Rescue operation over

Heavy cranes clear out the rubble at the building collapse site in Savar on Monday. Photo: Anisur Rahman

A rescue operation to recover bodies from the rubble of the collapsed Rana Plaza in Savar near the capital came to an end on Monday evening.

Army officials involved with the work say they have been successfully reached the basement of the nine-story building that caved in on April 24, trapping several thousands people inside the rubble.

"We have ended the rescue operation as there is no possibility of any persons or bodies being trapped under the rubble," said Maj Gen Chowdhury Hasan Sarwardy, commanding officer of the nine infantry division of Bangladesh Army.

Speaking at a crowded press conference, Hasan, who coordinated the rescue operation, declared winding up the work on Monday evening.

Giving an account of the operation, he said a total of 2,438 people had been rescued while 1,127 bodies pulled out of the rubble since the country's biggest industrial disaster took place on April 24.

The army official said of the rescued people, 1,744 had been sent to different hospitals. Many of them went back to their homes after receiving first aid while some joined the rescue work voluntarily.

He said 292 were still being treated for their injuries at the hospitals including Enam Medical College Hospital, Savar Combined Military Hospital and Pongu hospital. Some of them have lost their limbs including hands or legs during their rescue.

The official said 834 of the bodies had already been handed over to their families while 59 remain in morgues, 234 unidentified corpses had been buried after collecting DNA samples for their identification.

The army officer thanked all the organisations, individuals and the media for joining and extending their cooperation in carrying out the rescue operation.

He said they would hand over the site to the Dhaka district administration on 6:00pm on Tuesday.

A dua mahfil would be held at the site at 12:45pm on Tuesday seeking salvation of the departed souls and early recovery of the injured, he said.

People have been requested to attend the dua mahfil.