Rescue workers try to retrieve the trapped workers at the debris of a collapsed factory building some 25 km west of Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh, April 11, 2005. The nine-storey building collapsed following a boiler explosion that morning and several hundred of workers were trapped within the debris of the building. At least 18 bodies have been dug out already and more than 60 wounded sent to hospital. (Xinhua Photo)

Rescue workers try to retrieve the trapped workers at the debris of a collapsed factory building some 25 km west of Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh, April 11, 2005. (Xinhua photo)

    DHAKA, April 11 (Xinhuanet) -- Eighteen bodies were dragged out of rubbles, but hundreds of garment workers are feared dead as they were trapped under the rubbles of a nine-story building that collapsed early hours of Monday.

    The building housing the Shahriar Garments factory was on a full night shift while collapsed believed following the explosion of a boiler in the building.

    Rescuers dug out 18 bodies so far with poor equipment. But they said the work was gigantic. "We lacked equipment to work in such a gigantic task," a fire brigade official told Xinhua at the site of the incident, 25 km west of the capital Dhaka.

    Bangladesh Army, police and elite force the Rapid Action Battalion joined the rescue operation, who also dug out 60 people alive out of the rubbles of the building.

    Prime Minister Khaleda Zia Monday visited the site of the building and asked the authorities concerned to gear the rescue operation of the trapped factory workers. She also visited the injured workers at Savar military hospital.

    President Prof Iajuddain Ahmed also condoled the death of the workers.

    A workers of the garment factory, who survived from the tragedy said that " the building collapsed just one hour after the might night." He guessed there were 500 workers in the shift.

    A worker alive under the debris with mobile phone was contacted by his relatives and the worker replied for some time. But now he silent, a relative of the worker at the scene told Xinhua. "I don't know what has happened with him," the relative said.

    Relatives were seen at the scene breaking debris with axe in a bid to dug out their relatives trapped inside the collapsed building.

    A fire brigade rescuer told reporters he has never seen such a big collapse in Bangladesh.

    The building was constructed in a marsh land, which angered the State Minister for Home Affairs Lutfuzzaman Babar. Babar said, "I don't know how the owner constructed such a building for the workers who is earning money on their labour."

    Babar said the owner must be brought to book for such negligence. Enditem