Fire breaks out in rubble of collapsed building in Bangladesh

A fire broke out on Sunday in the wreckage of an illegally constructed building in Dhaka which collapsed and killed at least 377 people and forced authorities to suspend the search for survivors temporarily.         

Many of those killed were workers at clothing factories in the building, known as the Rana Plaza.                  

The collapse was the deadliest disaster to hit the garment industry in Bangladesh wjhich is worth 20 billion US dollars annually and is a mainstay of the economy.                                 

The fire broke out late on Sunday night and sent smoke pouring from the piles of shattered concrete.                              

It halted some of the rescue efforts - including a bid to free a woman who was found trapped in the rubble.                 

The blaze was caused by sparks as rescuers tried to cut through a steel rod to reach the woman, said a volunteer.                         

At least three rescuers were injured in the fire, he said.             

It forced them to retreat while firefighters frantically hosed down the flames.               

Officials believe the fire is likely to have killed the trapped woman, said army spokesman Shahinul Islam.             

Rescue workers had delayed the use of heavy equipment for several hours in the hope that she could be extricated from the rubble first.       

But with the woman presumed dead, they began using heavy equipment around midnight.                

In the meantime, the fugitive owner of the building was captured on Sunday by a commando force as he tried to flee into India.                        

Mohammed Sohel Rana was arrested in the western Bangladesh border town of Benapole, said Jahangir Kabir Nanak, junior minister for local government.                                

Rana was brought back by helicopter to the capital of Dhaka where he faced charges of negligence.       

Rana's capture was announced by loudspeaker at the disaster site, drawing cheers and applause from those awaiting the outcome of a continuing search- and-rescue operation for survivors of Wednesday's collapse.


APTN/REUTERS