Rana Plaza Collapse (2013)

Wed Apr 24, 2013

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Image: A large crowd standing outside the collapsed Rana Plaza building Munir Uz Zaman/Agence [NYTimes]

On this day in 2013, the Rana Plaza, an eight-story building in Dhaka, Bangladesh containing multiple garment factories, collapsed, killing 1,134 people in the deadliest garment factory disaster in history. In addition to textile factories, the complex hosted several shops and a bank.

The previous day, several cracks were discovered and reported, and other facilities in the building were closed. However, the factories were kept open, and the building owner, Sohel Rana, threatened to withhold pay to workers who did not come to work the following day.

The next morning, at around 8:57 am, the building completely collapsed. In addition to the 1,134 killed, over 2,500 were injured, most of whom were women and children.

Many survivors were trapped for days underneath rubble, and one woman was rescued 17 days after the collapse. The incident drew international attention, and Rana was sentenced to three years in prison for failing to declare personal wealth.

Rana and 37 others, including government officials, have been charged with murder and could receive the death penalty if they are found responsible for the complex’s collapse. As of January 2021, only Rana is in custody, and their trial is still pending.