Savar rescue ends Tuesday

The Bangladesh army says rescue work at the ill-fated Rana Plaza is likely to end Tuesday.

Army official Col Ibne Sajal Sayekhuzzaman told a news briefing on Monday that the army would hand over responsbility of the collapsed Rana Plaza to the district administration by 6pm Tuesday.

The salvage operation is on its last leg, he said.

Until Monday afternoon, 1,127 bodies have been pulled out of the collapsed highrise.

Many were still waiting at Adhar Chandra High School to recognise dear ones who have not showed up, dead or alive.

A milad (special prayer ceremony), open for everyone, was arranged near the site for Tuesday at 12:45am, Sajal Sayekhuzzaman said.

The army will depart after the milad and GOC, 9th army division, Maj Gen Hassan Suhrawardy is expected to brief the media at 8pm Monday at the army’s temporary camp.

Earlier in the morning, Junior Home Minister Shamsul Haque Tuku visited the site near Savar bus stand area and said that the military were into the last phase of their rescue work.