The Rana Plaza Collapse | A Short Documentary | Fascinating Horror

Summary

The Rana Plaza disaster in Dhaka, Bangladesh, occurred on April 24, 2013, when an eight-story building housing garment factories collapsed, killing 1,134 people and injuring over 2,500. Despite warnings of structural cracks, factory workers were pressured to return to work. The building, originally designed for commercial use, had extra floors added illegally, weakening its foundation. The tragedy highlighted the poor working conditions and exploitation in Bangladesh's garment industry, which supplies global brands. The aftermath led to widespread protests, calls for safer working conditions, and legal actions against the building's owner, Sohel Rana.

Takeaways

• 😨 Workers at Rana Plaza in Dhaka, Bangladesh, reported for duty despite fears about cracks in the building's structure.
• 🏢 Rana Plaza was built in 2006, originally as a four-story commercial building, but unapproved extra floors were added over time.
• 👷 The upper floors housed garment factories, employing around 5,000 workers making clothes for global brands.
• ⚠️ Workers were pressured to come to work despite cracks in the building, with threats of losing their jobs if they didn't.
• ⚡ On April 24, 2013, a power outage caused the building to shudder when generators were started, followed by a sudden collapse.
• 💔 The collapse killed 1,134 people and injured more than 2,500, many of them garment workers.
• 🔍 The collapse was caused by weak foundations, unapproved extra floors, and heavy industrial machinery in a commercial building.
• 📺 The tragedy drew global attention, especially as the workers were producing clothes for well-known Western brands.
• ⚖️ While some brands contributed to compensation for victims, many did not, and protests erupted over the minimal financial help.
• 🚨 The building's owner, Sohel Rana, was arrested and remains in jail as of 2022, facing charges related to the disaster.

Q & A

What led to the workers feeling nervous about going to work on April 24, 2013?

Workers were nervous because cracks had been discovered in the lower floors of the Rana Plaza building the day before, raising concerns about the safety of the structure.

How did the building owner, Sohel Rana, assure workers that the building was safe?

Sohel Rana personally told factory managers that the cracks were only cosmetic damage, such as flaking plaster, and that there was no reason for concern, assuring them the building was safe.

Why was the Rana Plaza building initially considered unsuitable for industrial use?

Rana Plaza was designed as a commercial building, not for industrial use, which meant that it was not structurally equipped to handle the heavy machinery and vibrations caused by the garment factories operating on the upper floors.

What role did political connections play in the construction of Rana Plaza?

Sohel Rana's political connections allowed him to bypass proper regulations, obtaining permission to add extra floors without the necessary permits and approvals, which contributed to the building's structural issues.

What happened when the generators on the top floor were started on the morning of April 24, 2013?

When the generators were powered up, the building shuddered, as it had before during generator use. However, this time the shudder was followed by loud bangs and a collapse of a large portion of the building.

How many people were affected by the collapse of Rana Plaza?

The disaster took the lives of 1,134 people and injured more than 2,500 others, many of them seriously.

What were some of the structural issues discovered after the collapse?

An investigation revealed that Rana Plaza's foundations were weak, having been built on a filled-in pond, and the extra floors added without permits lacked sufficient structural support. The use of heavy machinery in a building not designed for industrial purposes also weakened the structure.

How did global brands and retailers respond to the disaster?

Many global brands and retailers that used the Rana Plaza factories for manufacturing quickly signed a legally-binding agreement to set minimum safety standards in garment factories. However, some refused and created their own, less stringent guidelines. Only seven out of around 30 brands contributed financially to victim compensation.

What caused unrest among survivors after the disaster?

Many survivors were denied financial compensation, while others received minimal compensation. Some companies required DNA tests to link claimants to deceased workers before providing payouts, leading to protests and riots by garment workers.

What is the current status of Sohel Rana, the owner of the Rana Plaza building?

As of 2022, Sohel Rana remained in jail, facing multiple charges related to the collapse. He was initially arrested after attempting to flee the country and has been serving a sentence for corruption while awaiting further legal proceedings.