BDRCS RESPONSE TO BUILDING COLLAPSE IN SAVAR
An eight-storey private building in Savar, the outskirt of Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, collapsed
in the early hours of the day on morning of 24 April 2013. According to the government and media reports
on 28 April 2013, a total of 370 people had been killed and recovered and over 2500 people had been
rescued. A total of 968 people with serious injuries were hospitalized with most of injured victims have
suffered head, hands or leg injuries that required amputation. BDRCS has responded swiftly as soon as
the building collapse incident was informed.
The Bangladesh Army, Fire service and Civil Defence and Bangladesh Police are currently on the
ground conducting search and rescue (SAR) operation in association with relevant organizations like
Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS).
A team consisting of 100 BDRCS’s trained volunteers from the first two days and an additional 100
volunteers have joined at third day to assist the rescue and evacuation operation. In addition to the
volunteers, two National Disaster Response Team (NDRT) members have been deployed to support the
rescue operation. The combined team of BDRCS RCY volunteers and NDRT members have been
working round the clock with the Bangladesh Army and Fire Service and Civil defence in search and
rescue activities. A Restoring Family Link (RFL) team is on the ground providing services for relatives of
missing people. BDRCS has set up a mobile medical team at the site.
Since day of incident, BDRCS has mobilized its optimum level capacity in search and rescue operation,
health care, first aid, dead body management and RFL services. Following activities have been carried
out by the BDRCS with support from the IFRC, ICRC and German Red Cross.
SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATION
As many as 100 BDRCS RCY volunteers along with staff have joined the search and rescue operation
with Bangladesh Army and Fire Service and civil defence of which 15% (15) were female volunteers. The
number of RCY was increased sometime from 100 to 200 in case of need for massive evacuation of
trapped persons. BDRCS RCY volunteers, NDRT and staff were directly involved in at least 1,500
persons rescue.
 Transportation and management of 397 dead bodies
 They assisted Police and Bangladesh Army in crowd control
 Provided information about location of dead bodies and hospitals where survivors under treatment
 Location of blood collection points and where they can get blood
 Informed location of unidentified bodies
 Announcement through megaphones from the rescue points for necessary requirements during
rescue operation
 Operated generator for power supply during night time rescue operation
 Distributed 5,000 bottled drinking water, juice can and biscuits for rescue workers, relatives of
victims and law enforcing agencies
Light search and rescue equipment which were available at BDRCS stock were mobilized. Additional
items and tools of 10 set of RCC (Reinforced Cement Concrete) and iron cutter electric machines and 01
set of demolition hammer were procured and handed over to Army and civil defence be used in the
rescue work. In addition, an infra-red camera was given for the rescue team to detect people trapped
inside the collapsed structures.
Light search and rescue equipment such as 126 hand lights, 16 head torch lights, 200 dry cell batteries,
and two generators have been provided for rescue workers to continue searching people trapped inside
the collapsed structure.
German RC has provided a supplementary light and search rescue equipment and personal gears for
BDRCS rescue team to be able to better perform in the field. The equipment includes cell phone set,
umbrella, raincoat, gumboot, mosquito and others.
HEALTH CARE AND FIRST AID
BDRCS have set up a temporary health post at the site with two medical teams and first aid volunteers to
provide primary health care services to the injured victims on rotation. As of 28 April 2013, BDRCS
health post has already provided health care and first aid service to 466 injured persons. Out of 466, 15
were survivors and rest were the rescue workers who were wounded in dealing with rescue tools
equipment and carrying people. BDRCS ambulance service is kept available for transportation of
wounded people to different hospitals or health posts. Since 24 April 2013, 200 injured survivors were
transported to combined military and CMH hospitals and other hospitals by BDRCS ambulances. The
health team also provided 12,000 pieces of dust protective masks and hand gloves for medical
personnel, first aid volunteers and law enforcing agencies. The mobile medical team has made patient’s
cot and other necessary equipment available for providing treatment to unconscious victims.
Two teams of three member psychosocial team consisting of two midwives being mobilized from BDRCS
Mother and Child Health care (MCH) centre and one volunteers provided psychosocial support to 534
people, most of who were relatives of the victims. Among these, 4 unconscious people were admitted to
hospitals.
BDRCS has mobilized medicaments from its buffer stock and received donation from individual
philanthropists including overseas citizens of Bangladesh. The health team provided 10,000 oral
rehydration saline for rescue workers and law enforcing agencies. Two medical teams were on duty on
rotation comprising of 1 physician, 1 pharmacist, 2 nurse and 1 admin staff. Some 50 beds of Holy
Family Red Crescent Medical College Hospital are kept reserved to receive referral cases from the
spots.
Moreover, BDRCS has launched an appeal to the nation for voluntary blood donation to supplement
growing blood need for hospitalized people, in which has collected 140 bags of blood since its launch.
RESTORATION OF FAMILY LINKAGE
As many as 241 tracing request forms were done. As of 28 April 2013, 6 families were assisted by the
tracing team to re-unite their missing persons. Collection of list of missing people from different sources
like Jahangir Nagar University, Bangladesh police and Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies is
underway to tally and match with the tracing request forms for identification of missing people. Visits
were made to different hospitals by tracing team to get information about missing persons and dead
bodies. Survivors were provided with mobile phone service to connect their families after they rescued
from the collapsed building.
DEAD BODY MANAGEMNENT
BDRCS 619 dead body bags received from the ICRC. Additional stock of 1000 body bags was mobilized
by the ICRC from New Delhi. Dead bodies were carried in the bags by BDRCS volunteers and staff
trained by the ICRC.
The Bangladesh army taking BDRCS and fire brigade and civil defence has launched second stage
rescue operation by using heavy machines. The rescue operation is likely to continue for next three
days. Hence BDRCS will remain with its volunteers and staff to continue work in search and rescue dead
body management, RFL and health care.
BDRCS has received in kind and cash donation from individuals, students, and business people for the
purpose of humanitarian assistance to response in Savar building collapse.
The German Red Cross has pledged EURO 50,000 (CHF 61,422) and provided logistic support to
BDRCS to extend and accelerate the response. IFRC is supporting and coordinating the overall
response activities, while the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) is providing RFL and dead
body management support to BDRCS.
As the emergency response goes, need for long term assistance for affected people appears. Given the
extent of loss of affected people to livelihood and health seek for longer term humanitarian assistance to
recover from the potential risk of food insecurity, malnutrition, disability condition and socio-cultural
stigma.