Bangladesh Building Collapse Toll Exceeds 1,100

New Delhi, May 13, IRNA -- The death toll in Bangladeshˈs worst industrial disaster today rose to 1,125 after 15 more decomposed bodies were recovered from the debris of the ill-fated eight-storey building, 19 days after the tragedy. Rain has caused delays in recovery operations as overnight rainstorms forced rescuers to suspend work for several hours, and more rain today morning caused a brief delay. By afternoon, crews were back at work as they continued looking for bodies. Major Moazzem Hossain, who is leading the army rescue team, said the recovered bodies were decomposed and beyond recognition. Search teams were trying to identify the victims with their identity cards. Officials overseeing the disaster operation have said a total of 2,438 people have been rescued from the ruins so far, but 13 of them succumbed to their wounds as they were being treated at different hospitals, PTI reported. Hundreds of bodies are still trapped under the debris of the illegally constructed Rana Plaza as many continue to remain missing. It is still unclear how many people were in the building here in the suburbs of the capital Dhaka on April 24 when the structure, housing five garment factories, collapsed, a day after a huge crack was spotted by authorities. The building owner Sohel Rana and five factory owners have been charged with causing death due to negligence and violating construction laws, charges punishable by a maximum seven years in jail. Rana illegally added three floors and allowed the factories to install generators, police said. Some of the survivors of the collapse alleged that the factory owners had forced them to work despite appearance of the crack on the building the day before it collapsed. Meanwhile, nineteen-year-old garment worker Reshma, the last to be pulled out alive after she spent 17 days under the rubble, continued her recovery. Doctors said she was recovering at a military hospital and was out of danger. Facing international criticism over pay and workplace condition in the garment factories, Bangladesh today has formed a wage board to raise the minimum salary for garment workers. Textiles Minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui said the wage board would take retroactive effect from May 1. A typical Bangladeshi garment worker takes home less than USD 40 a month. Their minimum wage was last raised -- by 80 percent -- in November 2010. Last week, Bangladesh closed down 18 garment factories temporarily as part of its efforts to allay fears of international buyers and rights groups over safety and labor standards in the countryˈs beleaguered apparel sector./end