The death toll is rising after a building accident early Monday at a garment factory in Bangladesh.
Rescuers have recovered at least 15 bodies, and at least 80 injured workers have been pulled from the rubble and taken to hospitals. The nine-story building was about 30 kilometers northwest of the capital, Dhaka.
As many as 200 other workers were feared still trapped in the rubble as anxious relatives joined firefighters who used their hands and crowbars to sift through the debris. Authorities say the factory was built on a swamp.
It is not yet clear what caused the multistory building at Palashbari to collapse. Some witnesses say they heard an explosion just before building fell.
The garment industry is Bangladesh's biggest export sector, employing one-point-eight million workers and generating billions in revenue. Poor safety standards have resulted in frequent accidents.
