Death toll rises to 19 in collapsed building in Bangladesh

Rescuers recovered another body from a collapsed building in the Bangladeshi capital Monday, raising the death toll to 19, as parliament passed a law imposing jail terms for building code violators, officials said.

Firefighters and soldiers found the body of 25-year-old construction worker Humayun while searching for survivors in the debris for the third consecutive day, Capt. Moksed Ali, an army operation control room official, told The Associated Press.

Ali said no more survivors were found overnight.

Meanwhile, Parliament amended a building construction law late Sunday, introducing a maximum jail term of seven years and a fine of up to 50,000 takas (US$735; Ђ 617) fine for violating building codes.

On Sunday, rescuers pulled two survivors from the rubble more than 24 hours after Saturday's collapse.

Rescuers using bulldozers to lift concrete slabs heard a shout and found a man who gave his name only as Shakil trapped in a space below, fire brigade official Selim Newaz Bhuiyan said.

Shakil did not have any outward injuries, but was sent to a hospital for a check up, the official said.

About the same time, rescuers found Sumon Mia, a 32-year-old electrician, trapped in a space between two broken pillars on the ground floor of the collapsed building, reports the AP.

I.L.

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