Rana Plaza – a Year After

On April 24, 2013 at 8.57 am, a garment factory building in Savar, Bangladesh collapsed killing 1129 people. Most of the perished were clothing workers who were ordered to show up for work despite dangerous cracks discovered in the building a day before. The garment factories were manufacturers for brands such as Walmart, Benetton, Mango, The Childrens’ Place and others. 2515 people were rescued from the building alive, some after days of being buried in the rubble. Many have since returned to work at other garment factories as this is the only source of income for hundreds of thousands in Bangladesh. These photos were taken in April, 2014.

A makeshift memorial to the victims at the former entrance to the building
Rubble mixed with textile still covered
the site a year after the disaster
Many locals have lost family members at Rana Plaza
The former building’s site
Stench of death could still be felt at the site. Many bodies have not been recovered a year after the collapse.
Locals are looking for anything that may have belonged to their friends and family.
This is Shilpi who worked as a seamstress at Rana Plaza. She was in the building during the collapse and was rescued. She spend several months in and out of hospitals.
Like Shilpi, Rina was also a seamstress who survived the disaster. Both women have returned to work for another garment factory.
A measuring tape among the rubble
Local women among the rubble
A dress in the concrete rubble
We will never forget. A memorial commemorating the victims.