The death toll for this is incredibly disgusting, and could have been avoided 100%. I'm somewhat happy someone was held responsible since many times these but companies get away with little to no consequences. I just wish they were able to hold more people accountable. Also congratulations on the 1mill subscribers!
Agree, but I do wish that 1.) The companies were more publicly available, and 2.) They are also held responsible. They try to get away with the "out of sight, out of mind" technique, but their shoddy business practices and determination to keep costs down and profits high lead to this type of tragedy. In the US, this type of tragedy would have people outraged at a company, but yet we don't complain (as much) when it's somewhere else and the practices that caused it benefit us through cheap clothing.
The Bangladeshi government didn't really have much of a choice. If Rana got off scot-free, I don't doubt for a moment that the rioting would have probably escalated into a full-blown uprising.
Not only do companies get away with literal murder like this, but when big companies go bankrupt, they bail them out with OUR taxpayer dollars, so when they gamble and lost we pay the price But if we lose our job or aren’t getting payed enough to survive it’s always “you weren’t responsible enough” or something like that, it’s a blatant double standard
I remember back in the days a german satire magazine ran the joke headline "intact clothes recovered from Rana Plaza", which sums up the attitude of the industry towards the workers and Bangladesh in general
@@jonathantan2469 Well, the merchandise did have a monetary value to the owners... Same thing happens everywhere. "Human Resources" are a disposable tool, like any other resource companies use. The move away from the term 'Personnel' is not accidental.
That one detail about the bank employees being told to stay home but the textile workers being forced to get to work was genuinely horrifying. Rana knew what was going to happen, he knew he was sending those people to their deaths, yet he pressed on, probably hoping to squeeze a day or two of profits out of a building he had already written off as doomed. Legal execution methods are too good for him.
Rana told bank workers to come too, but they aren't his employee. Their office told them to not to come. He was psycho. He was blaming reporters to report the crack on his building... (It was one of the main stories of tv news channels on previous day).
@@Capt.MacTavish I don't think Rana intentionally sent people to their deaths... but it was the sort of criminal negligence that deserves the death penalty anyways. He wasn't taking safety seriously and knew the potential consequences.... or maybe he'd deluded himself into thinking the building was actually safe?
I really love how when you announced the death toll you kept the screen black. There was no picture for us to focus on or distract us. Small techniques like these are not only great filmmaking, but also incredibly respectful and drives the point home.
As soon as I heard that this happened in Bangladesh, I thought, this isn't going to end well. What made this even more difficult to watch is how one bad thing after another made this disaster even more inevitable, but also that the inevitable death toll was going to be huge. I hope the buildings owner rots in jail for life. And shame on the fashion brand companies for not doing more for these workers rights. Their greed will haunt them
This is why you should be careful about what brands you buy. Better to look into B Corp brands as they have to go through a rigorous process in ethics to get certified.
The difference in response from the fashion house brands is shocking. Some fought tooth and nail to avoid paying out dollar one and others such as Benetton and Primark Group paid double the requested sum and insisted in the future that all their international garment makers adhered to the same fire and safety standards that applied in the UK in all their factories regardless of location and sent inspectors out to make sure they did so. Unfortunately, there were many more examples of the former than the latter type of response.
So many of these companies that "insist on the same standards" as their home country also purchase from the lowest bidder. Its a big wink wink when they buy from factories that say they meet these standards, but couldnt possibly actually meet the standard at the low low prices uk companies are demanding. There is usually a middle comany that does the inspection, and they call ahead for factories to run those costly standards for the duration of the inspection, or the factories just pay the middle company for a passing grade. The UK company is insolated and the factory is able to afford the low price demanded of the uk company.
Want to know more? During early days of COVID, 70% of advanced order was canceled when those were ready to ship. And brands didn't pay for that. Kardashian's brand was on of them. Several garments were shut down due to this, and workers came to road during Covid lockdown. 🤷
I still don't forgive Matthew Yglesias after all these years for writing that horrid "Different Places Have Different Safety Rules and That’s OK" article about this tragedy.
He wrote a follow-up piece which is more human and emphatic actually, but it didn’t have the reach of his original Slate article. It’s titled Further Thoughts on the Bangladesh Factory Disaster.
@@TheChaosLupin You mean the one where he doubles down on his stance but asks people not to be mad at him about it? Or has he actually written something worth reading for a change?
I work at a garment factory. And I can say the brands nowadays had been conducting even more strict audits before placing their orders on a factory. Especially in regards of the social compliance and safety measures. All must be done to prevent the same horrible accident reoccurring in the future. In memorial of the people who lost their lifes on the Rana Plaza collapse🖤
Maybe this is true, but i have read many accounts of big companies requiring factories to sign off on health and saftey services, or enviornmental services, but accepting orders from the lowest bidder who are not being compensated enough from the big company to provide these services. Basically, the company calls ahead, the factory puts everything in place to pass inspection, then goes back to the lower, cheaper standard. Big company can plead ignorance, even though they know no factory could run at the standards the big companies are willing to pay for. Lots of winking on both sides.
I still remember hearing about this when it happened. The international reaction was immense and the magnitude of this disaster was hard to grasp. So many people who died out of greed in a single moment. This is why I never buy cloths from brands like Primark and it still sickens me that I had to work on the construction site of a Primark facility in England some years ago.
The only cloths I buy are European military clothes. Looks good, very good quality, mostly made in Europe. I bought Swiss Army boots, Best 60€ I spent in my life.
I'm particularly hard to fit, so I end up making most of my own clothes. But I've never minded paying more for quality clothing. I'd rather buy a piece that will last me for years than buy several pieces of cheap clothing. I always check labels before I buy anything. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford to avoid buying cheaper clothing.
Benneton, Bon Marche, Zara? All _good_ brand names being churned out of that building. Hardly the fault of those brands that the building was expanded unsafely.
The album 'Apex Predator - Easy Meat' by classic grindcore band, Napalm Death, was inspired by the Rana Plaza Collapse. Vocalist Barney Greenway considered it "a major event in terms of human tragedy" with less media coverage and public awareness than it should have had. He concluded, "that's what truly highlights the point I want to make, which is that life seems to be viewed as cheaper in some points of the world, especially where it's treated as a kind of dumping ground for everybody else who is much more fortunate and who consumes."
The thought of adding several floors to an already built commercial or industrial building without permits, inspections, plans is insane. The amount of people allowing had to be huge, and it sounds like most weren't punished.
With things like these, most people involved assume that permission was given. Anyone with a concern often are told to shut up and do the work or get fired/not get paid. It's very easy for a single person to pull off this kind of BS just with the power of assumption that the other parts are being done. Unless it's specifically your job to see the permits in person, you'll likely never see them, even on a legit job.
and now, in that CORRUPT society, he is in "jail" :D and the trial will last for 15 years while he is in some fake jail or probably even home at "house arrest" :D what a mockery
@@FranNyan I mean unless he built the entire thing on his own by hand, there are plenty of people who would've been in need of seeing actual plans made by engineers. Said engineers would've needed to know what the limits of the permit were. There's definitely a chain of people not doing their job properly here and getting away with murder.
Thats what I was going to say. How the hell is he the only one in trouble? The contractors that did the work with out a permit are good? State and city inspectors didn't have a say I the building going twice as high as it was supposed to? I guess they got their fall guy kind of like the Boeing test pilot being the only one arrested in the max debacle.
Sadly that’s how it is in these countries. No builders ask to even see a permit, they’re just there to build. You can also just get a fake permit by paying off the guy issuing them. Most government employees are extremely well off because they take bribes. The whole police force also runs on bribes
Do you expect corporations to have any compassion? To have any moral code other than to maximize profit? If they did, they wouldn't be hiring foreign workers when America's cities are full of homeless people living in tents.
@@profd65 You know as well as I do that Americans don’t want large garment factories in their backyards because the garment industry is a very dirty one, and in order not to be it will cost $$$$$ Do you think the limousine socialists in California want to start opening up garment factories in their “beautiful” cities? 😂
Aside from the always great storytelling, I appreciate you touching on broader social and economic issues directly related to this story, even though they are much broader subjects unto themselves. I hope people are more thoughtful about their buying practices as these brands don't care about their producers' health and wellbeing, never have, and will not chance merely to the tune of 1,000 preventable deaths.
I'd like to know how I can manage to avoid buying from brands who were responsible for their employees working in that deathtrap when it collapsed. I have all sorts of products from brands that I know or suspect use underpaid or even slave labor to assemble their stuff, including the phone I typed this reply from, but I don't know what I should do to avoid buying their products in the future.
What gets me is that SOME owners apparently are incapable of weighing the costs of safety against the cost of disasters (or legal aggression). E.g. the owner of that building could have built a better one for maybe twice the cost of adding floors, but instead, he lost everything including his freedom. The other things that gets me is that MOST companies go to great lengths to install adequate safety measures and procedures, but workers SOMETIMES ignore the procedures, and an entirely preventable disaster occurs. Maybe the most puzzling behavior is that of lawyers who will attempt to manufacture blame in order to extort money.
People's buying habits individually won't affect this problem at all. It is an inevitability under capitalism. If you took down America's biggest company, Walmart, by some miracle of boycotting, then its successor would soon dissolve into the same practices. These practices are incentivized under our economic system. It isn't going to be solved with boycotts. It will only be solved with political change and class consciousness. Capitalism cannot be tamed. There is no reason to believe that it can. Its very basis is "gain wealth by any means possible." Why would a company do anything but resort to this? No reason not to.
@Dave Smith People have been proven to be horrible at assessing risk and especially acting on risk prevention. It's just such a blindspot, especially if you're a greedy ignorant bustard and everything has been fine up till now. It is unbelievable how people disregard obvious risks though.
@@Pandidolod ---- Managements vary, but most have proven that they do listen to the ground. You don't have to "bring down" a company to bring about change; a dip in sales will suffice. Your comment sounds like it might have been posted by a subversive communist revolutionary, sowing dissent, one who might consider moving to Cuba or Venezuela where they solve problems by executions.
I knew about this, but there's something in the way you tell the story...I could hear the pain in your voice. It was dignified and respectful of the victims...
The west loves cheap clothes, which come from the poorest countries in the world by the hands of some of the most abused and exploited work forces on earth. But hey, this cute top is only $5! SCORE.
It's truly distressing how many of the collapses on this channel are the result of altering the original (and safe) building plans without doing any new calculations. Add a few floors? No problem. Change the building materials? No problem. Lengthen the bridge? No problem.
@@kaiyotee2475 Obviously every construction material, be it steel, concrete or plastic bricks will have it's ultimate strength. However adding a few extra floors to a Lego buidling and having it collapse under it's own weight isn't something that's going to worry any kid.
Its sad that your channel is so well known, because it shows that people's greed, incompetence or laziness causing loss of life will alway exist, let alone natural disasters. you take excellent care with researching, reporting and remembering of the victims. some of your videos are used at work in safety training to remind us of the dangers that can occur at work, and what the devastating effects could be. So thank you for this channel and your hard work.
@@Scorpio45Libra Yes, and it is sad that greedy, incompetent or lazy people destroy other people's lives so frequently that there is enough material to produce regular videos and develop such a following.
"Or laziness causing loss of life" I challange anyone who watches this to check their clothing tags. Sure there was outrage and threats of boycotting, but most people were too lazy to put their money where their mouth is. Or would plead being poor to excuse themselves from continuing to buy from these companies.
While I could say a lot about corrupt businesspeople/politicians responsible for the deaths of thousands, I have to consider a culprit closer to home. I've spent money on clothing at too-good-to-be-true prices, and felt bad about the likelihood it was made in sweatshop conditions. Recently I vowed off doing this online when what I bought was clearly inferior to what the showed on attractive photographs. I felt like a sucker. This though, is the real bait-and-switch rebbery, a robbery of human lives. I hope I remember this the next time I'm tempted to make such a purchase. Fascinating Horror has made that more likely. Thank you Fascinating Horror for such well researched and thought provoking docs that focus on the aftermath and safety measures and resulting laws as much as the horrifying part. That makes this channel so much better than the knock-offs that have succeeded it. You deserve 1M subscribers.
Hate to burst your bubble, but….. expensive items are also made or sourced in equally (or worse) appalling conditions…. Such as Nike shoes or Apple phones etc.
@@alanaldpal950 I think they're talking about slow fashion and sustainable pieces, though, not like, balenciaga and gucci, whose expensive price doesn't come from paying their workers fairly. Nothing anywhere is 100% free from cruelty but to say 'so don't even bother trying' is disgustingly nihilistic and benefits no one.
@@alanaldpal950don't worry about that other reply...some one thought they had an opportunity to show Strangers on the internet how virtuous they are, but as you pointed out, they had to put words in your mouth. Just another holier-than-thou youtube comment
Thank you for your comment. It's as you said. People are so quick to point the finger at someone else without taking a look at themselves and their own greed!
This incident woke me up and i stopped buying clothes and shoes all together, only thrifting and making my own when i need them. didn't realize it's been 11 years since then.. thank you for showing people what "fast fashion" do to these workers..
I thought it woke me up too. But then I researched how economically important these kinds of jobs are to the locals, and how these jobs actually pay better than the average gig. You're not helping them by taking away their jobs. They have to unionize, and they have to organize to pass new legislation. And they did. Case closed.
@@PlayNiceFolks case closed? Hardly. A lot of countries got their independenc gutted by either hostile outside forces or sold out by their corrupt leaders. Their own means of living are stripped, and in it's place, an artificial reliance on corporations that will ditch them like Vietnam and other countries they deem not paying low enough slave wages anymore.
@@PlayNiceFolks That's the same argument that was used to defend keeping people as property, you know. "well what else will they do?! No one else will employ them, at least we're giving them food and a roof over their heads!". Garment workers keep dying from accidents and illness due to unsafe working conditions, whoever told you it's "case closed" has either not educated themselves, or has something to gain from keeping poor people in poor working conditions.
Hence the protests. I get the general impression Indians aren't terribly inclined to protest. So when you see this kind of response, its just goes to show how strongly they responded to this.
i remember learning about this in year 10 geography - most of my class didn’t pay much attention to it when our teacher put on a video about it, but i couldn’t tear my focus away. it was horrifying to hear about it and it felt so odd to have a bunch of people chattering around me whole i took it in. i did a lot of my own research on it and similar disasters after the fact … now four years later i see this, really unlocked some memories …great vid and congrats on 1M ! so deserved :))
I did the same thing in my year 10 geography class! The documentary had stuck with me all these years until now with how tragic and avoidable it could have been.
they wanted to keep it as secret as possible imo. They didn't want other countries eyes viewing the catastrophe and asking difficult questions. All to protect the scum who are responsible for this.
It really is stupid. It's essentially mutual aid. Bangladesh is a poor country that doesn't have the money or the need for a large urban S&R force. Nothing wrong with that at all. Many other countries are in the same situation. That's why there are international organizations in place that can quickly get the needed resources to the site.
Happens all the time. Some governments believe It’s a sign of weakness to admit you can’t manage your own crises. They rather sacrifice the lives of a few individuals than shame their countries reputation. In the US we have the luxury of being the ones to render aid rather than receive it so this value system seems primitive. Inherently biased to judge the culture of other countries from that vantage point On the other hand it’s not surprising that a Crazy Cat Lady would label a poorer foreign society as “ridiculous”
This is crazy. I looked over as many pictures of this collapse as I could and it appears to obviously be a concrete structure. However, I have not been able to identify barely any rebar sticking out of the concrete which is always evident in any concrete structure that has collapsed. Perhaps I am wrong…I am not an engineer but I do have experience and knowledge of the process and worked as a Land Surveyor for many years so I have been on my share of construction sites. Maybe Bangladesh has different building regulations than we do here in the United States, but I couldn’t imagine pouring concrete for almost any construction project without the use of rebar. I mean it is what basically gives the concrete sufficient holding power. Or perhaps the concrete was of a lesser quality or even mixed improperly. Whatever the case my heart goes out to all those poor people and their families.
Korea is in many ways ahead of Bangladesh but that didn't prevent a similar situation in the Sampoong department store collapse. the owners just kept pushing and found builders just as greedy and unethical. So your eyes probably did not deceive you, there wasn't rebar, it's expensive.
@@angelachouinard4581 thank you for your reply. I suppose that the issue was undoubtedly the concrete itself. It was probably not even lab tested for structural integrity, I think that goes without saying, and shotty craftsmanship because the owner probably wanted it built fast, cheap and corners were most likely cut and contractors were probably persuaded with good ole’ money to meet deadlines regardless of insufficient work.
@@randyrobertson4686 the problem wasn’t concrete. It was unfettered greed. This is why deregulation and “free markets” are utterly deprived and incredibly dangerous. The unions didn’t fight for a century for nothing.
A common practice is to install rebar for inspection, then remove it and reinstall it elsewhere for the next inspection. Asia is rife with corrupt and immoral practices like this and life appears to be cheap, with such high population numbers. Qatar used migrant labour to build their stadia for the 2022 football world cup. 6500 workers died on site. The competition was highly rated by "observers" and "commentators." It's morally repugnant
Did you know? The former PM (whom the students of Bangladesh threw away through a bloody brutal movement) ordered that the plaza be made flat using equipment while people were still trapped inside simply because it was so much work to get them out alive. This horrible truth came out only after she fled the country. I'm glad we made her leave. Everyday something new surfaces up, some secrets that she buried deep.
Wow. One actual million subscribers. What a milestone. So happy for you, it’s incredibly well deserved. One of my favourite channels on this platform, hands down. All the best for 2023 and beyond.😁
I'm a bit of a history nerd, but you might be one of the few people that can come up with stuff I still never heard about on a somewhat regular bases. This would be one of the events.
They did that so he could face the court, and face the consequences of what he did. If they allowed him to be attacked, and possibly killed, they would not be able to prosecute him. He may get the death penalty anyway, but he needed to be forced to stand for his crimes.
The most infuriating part isn't what happens to him (unless he is let go with a slap in the wrist, which I doubt), but what won't happen to others. This man didn't fudge a number here or there, he built an 8 story factory on a 3 story commercial building permit. Where is everyone that let that happen? Where is whoever allowed the workers to be forced back into a building that was evacuated due to severe damage only a day prior? Don't get me wrong, no punishment is severe enough for what Sohel Rana did, my point is that he was the symptom of a much, much larger problem.
@@crazeelazee7524 Bangladesh is a little country with a lot of rivers, and many parts are liable to get flooded. So, there is a sure issue regarding construction plot availability. Sadly, to make up for the lack of quality spots, some corrupt individuals accept paw greasing from rich investors... It's unlikely to go away.
Reminds me of that shopping mall collapse in South Korea where you had those air conditioning units on the roof that contributed to the instability of the structure in question.
What makes this even worse is that the companies involved put profits over the lives of their workers - and wriggled out of treating them fairly going forward. The minimum wage in Bangladesh is less than the cost of living, which is shocking... and if someone can purchase a T-shirt for a couple of dollars, with the company making nay sort of profit on that sale after transport costs and paying the sales staff, how little did the person sewing it get paid? This is why there's a growing interest in slow fashion and more sustainable fashion, although the people who will always suffer are the workers in countries like Bangladesh, India, China and Africa. Because out of sight is out of mind.
Granted in much of the US minimum wage is far below the cost of living, though both are much higher than in Bangladesh. This is a problem in many parts of the world, with the growing difference between the wealthy and the poor. One thing I'd always like to know - but usually can't - with any purchase is how much of said money is going to the workers who made, shipped, warehoused, stocked, sold, etc the thing versus to the company's CEO, upper management, shareholders, and so on, to making the very rich even richer.
The pervert at the textile Mafia is: A T Shirt cost one Euro in Bangladesh. The big Brands have manufaktury her Textile in Bangladesch. A ceo from a Manufaktury says : "When i Sold/pay my Worker with the double of the minimum Sold, the T Shirt cost: 0.16 Euro more, but the big Brand will this Not pay".
Or instead of waiting for social attitudes and preferences to change we could... hold the companies accountable who export their business there to escape things like basic labor and environmental regulations, and then use their profits to lobby to attack those regulations in the west, too
I first learned about the Rana Plaza collapse after watching "The True Cost" documentary years ago. I cannot recommend the film enough. It really impacted my relationship with shopping, and opened my eyes to fast fashion/American cultures tendency to see clothing as disposable. Glad to see this story covered in detail by fascinating horror.
@@ananasbanana Yes! I will accept clothing that is gifted to me even if it is from a brand that I do not support anymore. But otherwise I stick exclusively to thrifted/second-hand clothing and supporting small businesses when purchasing new clothes. My current challenge has been working on phasing out certain brands from my kitchen/bathroom supplies
@@ananasbanana it was a struggle when I gained weight and had to purchase new clothing in 2020-2021. Until then, much of my wardrobe lasted me a good decade. I'm fortunate to be in a living situation where I'm working for my room and board so that has allowed me to save for extras like clothing.
This one is horrible!! The fact that they saw the cracks and told retail workers to not come in (probably so customers wouldn't be in the building) but forced the factory workers in is disgusting!
It's more than a bit sad that this is one of the relatively few disasters you've covered where someone who caused the disaster due their stupidity and greed--but I repeat myself--is actually held responsible even if pretty much everyone else involved got away with it and even if far more people died than I remembered. I heard about this disaster like I imagine almost everyone else not living as a hermit did, but I honestly don't remember the death toll being 1,000+--geez. (Completely unrelated but congratulations on breaking the one million subscriber mark.)
How many of those 1000+ would have been saved if the government accepted outside help. There seems to be a failure on both the owner and the rescue effort.
@@Backroad_Junkie Oh, there's *definitely* blame to go around beyond the owner. I'm just sadly surprised that even the owner was punished given both previous videos and real life in general despite him being the most guilty of the government that refused more help from more professional rescue workers and the overseas companies (and consumers) that were knowingly using and encouraging such unsafe labor practices. I'd be genuinely surprised if any of the companies kept true to that "oath" of bettering working conditions overall, especially almost a decade later.
@@MusicoftheDamned The Bangladeshi government didn't really have much of a choice. With such a catastrophic volume of casualties, someone had to take the fall. If absolutely nobody was held responsible for such a senseless tragedy, the riots in Bangladesh would have likely escalated into a full-blown uprising against the government. Rana, being the one who made the illegal building modifications that caused the collapse and ordered the factory employees to report to work, was simply the easiest target.
People were easily placated by the big companies claims that they were doing something about it. Also everyone likes to say they are too poor to shop elsewhere.
I love these two also! Another good one is Brick Immortar. He gets more in depth on the technical side of the diisaster while still remaining respectful of the victims.
And to think people get mad about building standards just existing and being enforced in the UK/EU. Makes me want to point at this and scream THIS IS WHY, FOOL.
I've rarely heard/seen videos on this collapse, so thank you for shedding some light on this event. My parents are Bangladeshi, and most of my extended family lives near Dhaka. Although we didn't lose any relatives in this event, a few members of my extended family in Bangladesh knew someone who lost their lives in this collapse. I still remember how my parents were glued to the tv the entire day this tragedy occurred.
I think it's worth mentioning too that it was apparently commonplace practice in garment factories to lock the workers in (and lock the windows) so they could not leave halfway through their shift. In a few interviews with survivors after the Rana Plaza collapse a few of the survivors say this was also the case in their workplaces too. I can't help but think about how that may have impacted things on that day.
I remember this and the incredible number of deaths, and the disappointing aftermath. Even though the owner of the Rana Plaza was arrested, and is still serving sentence; many who also bore responsibility escaped, unpunished. I recall thinking of the Triangle Shirt-waist Factory Fire; though the dead were far fewer in number, the situations were very similar. The utter disregard for worker safety was, and is, appalling, and has no excuse. Those responsible should face accountability, but rarely do.
Congratulations for your 1 M subs. You always treat the cases with care and respect, and that’s what makes your videos so enjoyable even if the subjects are grim. Keep the good work and thanks for raising awareness in cases like this one
Congratulations on reaching 1 million subscribers 👏. Most disasters are caused by human error, greed, corruption etc, not all, but most. It's incredibly sad😔.
So sorry to hear that. What a tremendous loss of life in what sounded like an already wrought community of dedicated working families. The corruption and pressure from managers sounds a lot more like greed from corporate wealthy elites than any responsibility of employees. Hearing that there was skepticism for the safety of the building just that day, but workers were financially pressured to enter and work regardless brings even more innocence and devastation to an already massive fatality count. That all makes the protesting and worldwide shock to the tragedy all the more valid. I feel a bit less resolved emotionally by the conclusion to this video. Maybe it's simply because it was so recent compared to other industrial/commercial tragedies on this channel, but it does not sound like the safety measures or the parent companies involved felt much in terms of responsibility or willingness to improve worker peace of mind in Bangladesh following the chaos
I'm so sorry that this happened, especially that it would have been so, so easily avoided. I also think the aftermath is shocking, and I'm appalled that there's no official memorial. Garment workers deserve so much better. I would gladly pay a higher price for clothes if I knew that they were being manufactured in safe conditions and for fair pay.
The number of dead is beyond comprehension in many countries, it is truly horrifying. The fact it stemmed from pure greed and indifference makes it so much worse.
I've been watching too many of these videos- on New Year's night, I was hanging out in the apartment of someone I'd met at the bar that night when I heard creaking coming from the ceiling. I looked up and swore I could see a small section of the ceiling bulging. He was confused as well and said it wasn't normal, but that it was probably his upstairs neighbors moving something heavy across the floor. I remembered the collapse of the Champlain Towers building in Surfside, Florida a year and a half ago and mentally heard Glass Pond playing and you saying, "On the 1st of January, 2023...." This is a hell of a FH video to begin the New Year with after that. Keep up the good work as always.
@@cplcabs Lol, I won't be for other reasons, but I would be shocked if a luxury apartment building in NYC wasn't built up to code. I'm pretty sure the ceiling wasn't actually bulging and it was a plaster issue, since he said it was like that well before the noise started (the ceiling in my own bedroom has similar damage because of a fire that started in here nearly 50 years ago). I was just mega nervous having gone to a bar by myself in New York on NYE and back to the apartment of a random man (thankfully he was very sweet and even paid for my cab ride, and I arrived home safely and without incident). Not gonna lie, though, on the way to the party I was remembering the Dupont Plaza Hotel Fire video and made sure I knew where the fire exits were once I entered the bar...
Ending someones life isn’t a punishment, its a get out of jail free card! And nothing more! He should spend the whole rest of his life behind bars, confined to a cell, mow THATS punishment.
Much love from Dhaka. I remember the day before the building collapsed, we saw a news segment about that garment building having cracks all over the place. When I watched it I didn't pay attention but literally the next morning the building collapsed. Everyone was warned but noone listened
You should watch the video again. All the factory workers were NOT warned. Only those that worked in the retail stores and bank were warned. The owner of the building was warned but FORCED every factory worker to be there the next day.
@@juggerfox I mean the general public was warned but no one paid attention to it until it was too late. After the collapse, the general public was up in arms about workers rights but didn't say anything when we all saw the news segment I'm referring to (pre-collapse)
Great story. This was an important story to tell. The high cost of the things we take for granted should be understood by those buying things. Well done sir.
No clue why I was not subscribed to *"Fascinating Horror"* till now. Very measured narration, without any melodramatic over the top script, language. Yet very effective in conveying the message. Ad someone from South Asia (India).. can only shake my head in despair.. over the agony and irony with which the people in the region live. Especially the marginalised or those of the non affluent class.
Congrats on hitting 1 million subs - excellent channel that tells horrific stories with dignity and always ends with how laws were changed to prevent it happening again...
I subbed when you had 999K subs. Now you're past 1 million-congrats! 🥇🏆🥳🎈🎉 I remembered this being all over the news here in the US. Lots of people here were learning for the first time just how bad things were for the people, often young kids, behind foreign manufacturing. We heard rumors, sure, but this event kind of made it more real for us. Many people stopped buying certain brands. Crazy times...
I was only 9 when it happened. I couldn't understand it back then. But now I almost cried while watching it. It's a true horror. Saddest part is, other than the victims, almost everyone has forgotten about it. We celebrate our 50 years of independence and victory, we built our largest bridge with our own money,we have more major constructions going on, but no one mentions how many of the real workers are dying for the development. Every year in Bangladesh, there will be an accident where at least 100 people died. Most of them are probably poor, so everyone forget that incident in a week. I saw this horrible math on the internet that cost of 1kg beef is equal to 1kg of a victim when it comes to pay for damage in Bangladesh. Unimaginable, but it's actually happening here.
1:05 one thing you left vague, Rana Plaza was not located in Dhaka city. While it was located in the Dhaka District, it was actually located in Savar, which is outside the city.
My hometown of Greenville SC, USA once claimed the title of "Textile Center of the World", so I know how things work in that business field. These women worked in "sewing halls" where wages are the lowest and penalties for not meeting expected production are severe. Here we had a legal minimum wage which was rather low, but it still wasn't as low as what these people got so our businesses closed the doors and moved. We had safety standards to meet which seem to be absent here. Nobody actually working in the building daily makes much money; all the profits and wealth go to those who are not there in large quantities. There are 'blacklists' of troublesome employees shared among all the companies so if you speak out about a problem you get fired and you cannot find another job in the business ever again. Since that's essentially the only business in town for low-skilled and unskilled workers you just put up with everything because you have no other viable choices. Now you're an 'economic slave' with no future hopes for anything better.
I used to live in a nearby area and I vividly remember those days. It was a disaster. So many people were affected physically and mentally. Thank you for covering this.
It is truly disgusting what people will do for the bottom line. They have zero respect for the dignity and value of human life. I have not bought new clothing for years…I only buy from resale shops. I do not want to contribute my money to companies like these. This man is responsible for over a thousand lives lost and over two thousand more lives irreparably hurt and ruined. I believe he deserves to be in prison for the rest of his life. Congratulations on ONE MILLION SUBS!!! That’s incredible! You are truly a blessing to us all!
Thank you for covering this unfortunate event of my country. I still remember that day when the rescue began. The tv live broadcasted everything including the crushed dead bodies. It was advised that the faint hearted don't watch... The building had no underground foundation for those extra floors. Unfortunately the situation of garments factories still remain deadly to this day.
I remember I covered this in part of my dissertation 7 years ago. It (temporarily at least) led to an increase in transparency around clothing production, but in Britain, Primark took almost all the media flack for this when multiple British brands with suppliers there barely got mentioned.
@@gerardacronin334 I hadn’t considered that, but the tabloids do love to shift the blame. Some of the others were owned/chaired by the über-wealthy lots-of-connections type businessmen, so they probably had sway to keep attention away from them. Primark had also been accused (to an extent, falsely) of poor labour practices previously, which made them an easier target for vitriol.
I’m a Bangladeshi. Watching this live on TV was such a horror, one corpse after another were being removed. It’s been 11 years and yet parents/siblings/ children stand in front of the now nothing but field still searching for their lost ones. It’s one of those events where you’re angry, sad and devastated all together. May the souls that were lost that day haunt that monster “Sohel Rana” till his last breath.
Duuuuude 1 MILLION!!!! I found you and the Why Files during Covid and became addicted, he hit a Mill last week, I knew you weren't far behind. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!
Congrats on 1M subs; they're incredibly well-deserved! Your vids have been a staple of starting my week for god knows how long now. Please let us know/show us when your gold play button arrives, either through community post or short!
Every week at work I exclaim to a coworker "He uploaded another one!" as I anxiously wait for my smoke break to watch your next disaster video. Never lose your seriousness and educative tone, great work.
1 million baby!! Cheers! You absolutely deserve more. Your stories are always fascinating, even though they're usually horrific. Blessings for many more in this new year!
6:30 "Glaring issues were missed by authorities". It's hard to believe that somebody added 3 extra floors to their building and no one has bothered to check if they had permission to do that. Who issues the permits in Bangladesh?
I think you missed a piece of the puzzle. How may bribes were paid to have authorities look the other way? I suspect such behavior is commonplace everywhere....
I find that entirely credible, actually. How often do you look at a construction site and go “Huh. I wonder if they have a permit for that?”. Never underestimate the ability of busy-looking people wearing hard hats to fly under the radar.
Compare how this issue was dealt with in the 1995 Sampoong Department Store collapse in South Korea and you have to wonder why some nations financially prosper and other nations are doomed to stay in poverty.
I am glad that the person responsible didn’t get away with this and is continuously being brought to justice. There are so many videos on this channel where those responsible end up facing little to no consequences.
It is highly frustrating that the rescue efforts in question declined assistance from external sources, despite the fact that such aid was desperately needed. This refusal ultimately led to additional fatalities, as those responsible for the rescue efforts were not properly equipped to handle the task at hand. As I understand it, based on what I have read in the comments of this video, this type of occurrence is unfortunately quite common during rescue efforts.
We dealt with the same crap in the United States before businesses were forced (they never do this stuff voluntarily) to provide workers with a reasonably safe workplace. Fourteen people died constructing the Empire State Building. Nintey-six died constructing Hoover Dan. Of course, Republicans piss and moan about these safety regulations.
This is hideous. A man putting his own employees into extreme danger. Pressuring employees to work in a completely dangerous/illegal building. And lack of compensation? Gosh darn.
Alright!! A million subs and you deserve many more! And another excellent video! Thank you, Fascinating Horror, for all the content in 2022. Can't wait to see what you have in store for us in 2023!!
After watching this video 4 words stood out, No need for caution. "There is no greater calamity than lavish desires.There is no greater guilt than discontentment. And there is no greater disaster than greed."
The death toll for this is incredibly disgusting, and could have been avoided 100%. I'm somewhat happy someone was held responsible since many times these but companies get away with little to no consequences. I just wish they were able to hold more people accountable.
Also congratulations on the 1mill subscribers!
I'm grateful the companies that were manufacturing fabric in this building were listed.
Agree, but I do wish that 1.) The companies were more publicly available, and 2.) They are also held responsible. They try to get away with the "out of sight, out of mind" technique, but their shoddy business practices and determination to keep costs down and profits high lead to this type of tragedy. In the US, this type of tragedy would have people outraged at a company, but yet we don't complain (as much) when it's somewhere else and the practices that caused it benefit us through cheap clothing.
The Bangladeshi government didn't really have much of a choice. If Rana got off scot-free, I don't doubt for a moment that the rioting would have probably escalated into a full-blown uprising.
Not only do companies get away with literal murder like this, but when big companies go bankrupt, they bail them out with OUR taxpayer dollars, so when they gamble and lost we pay the price
But if we lose our job or aren’t getting payed enough to survive it’s always “you weren’t responsible enough” or something like that, it’s a blatant double standard
To everyone who wants to "Get gov't regulations off the backs of business" -- THIS is what you wind up with.
I remember back in the days a german satire magazine ran the joke headline "intact clothes recovered from Rana Plaza", which sums up the attitude of the industry towards the workers and Bangladesh in general
holy shit. the world just.... leaves me speechless sometimes.
Ppl lack empathy dis days
Unfortunately, I think that was the attitude of some of the company owners when the tragedy occured... "How much of the merchandise can be salvaged?"
@@jonathantan2469
Well, the merchandise did have a monetary value to the owners...
Same thing happens everywhere. "Human Resources" are a disposable tool, like any other resource companies use. The move away from the term 'Personnel' is not accidental.
When it comes to Muslim countries in general, people lack sympathy and it's clear it's because of our religion which is really upsetting
That one detail about the bank employees being told to stay home but the textile workers being forced to get to work was genuinely horrifying. Rana knew what was going to happen, he knew he was sending those people to their deaths, yet he pressed on, probably hoping to squeeze a day or two of profits out of a building he had already written off as doomed. Legal execution methods are too good for him.
Rana told bank workers to come too, but they aren't his employee. Their office told them to not to come. He was psycho. He was blaming reporters to report the crack on his building... (It was one of the main stories of tv news channels on previous day).
@@Capt.MacTavish I don't think Rana intentionally sent people to their deaths... but it was the sort of criminal negligence that deserves the death penalty anyways. He wasn't taking safety seriously and knew the potential consequences.... or maybe he'd deluded himself into thinking the building was actually safe?
I really love how when you announced the death toll you kept the screen black. There was no picture for us to focus on or distract us. Small techniques like these are not only great filmmaking, but also incredibly respectful and drives the point home.
As soon as I heard that this happened in Bangladesh, I thought, this isn't going to end well. What made this even more difficult to watch is how one bad thing after another made this disaster even more inevitable, but also that the inevitable death toll was going to be huge. I hope the buildings owner rots in jail for life. And shame on the fashion brand companies for not doing more for these workers rights. Their greed will haunt them
Their CEO's should be rotting in jail too. And don't worry, they won't lose sleep over this.
@@c0mpu73rguy Their fate should be far, far worse than that...
I thought the same .. here comes a horrific story of many sad deaths in a factory with zero safety
This is why you should be careful about what brands you buy. Better to look into B Corp brands as they have to go through a rigorous process in ethics to get certified.
Fashion brands don't care how many have to suffer and die as long as they make a profit.
The difference in response from the fashion house brands is shocking. Some fought tooth and nail to avoid paying out dollar one and others such as Benetton and Primark Group paid double the requested sum and insisted in the future that all their international garment makers adhered to the same fire and safety standards that applied in the UK in all their factories regardless of location and sent inspectors out to make sure they did so. Unfortunately, there were many more examples of the former than the latter type of response.
Did not expect Primark to be one of those companies, NGL!
@@dinolil1474 Me either TBH but they were. Given the death toll is almost beyond belief it was really the only reasonable response IMHO.
So many of these companies that "insist on the same standards" as their home country also purchase from the lowest bidder. Its a big wink wink when they buy from factories that say they meet these standards, but couldnt possibly actually meet the standard at the low low prices uk companies are demanding. There is usually a middle comany that does the inspection, and they call ahead for factories to run those costly standards for the duration of the inspection, or the factories just pay the middle company for a passing grade. The UK company is insolated and the factory is able to afford the low price demanded of the uk company.
They know that they won't be forced out regardless. The Bangladeshi government is dependent on them for it's income.
Want to know more? During early days of COVID, 70% of advanced order was canceled when those were ready to ship. And brands didn't pay for that. Kardashian's brand was on of them. Several garments were shut down due to this, and workers came to road during Covid lockdown. 🤷
I still don't forgive Matthew Yglesias after all these years for writing that horrid "Different Places Have Different Safety Rules and That’s OK" article about this tragedy.
He wrote a follow-up piece which is more human and emphatic actually, but it didn’t have the reach of his original Slate article. It’s titled Further Thoughts on the Bangladesh Factory Disaster.
@@TheChaosLupin You mean the one where he doubles down on his stance but asks people not to be mad at him about it? Or has he actually written something worth reading for a change?
@@konayasai didn’t he once say that him and Ezra Klein fantasized about being characters from the West Wing? He is such a clown.
Typical neo lib mindset. He’s the kinda guy who will tell you not to judge other cultures for honor killings.
Not if you make clothes for Benetton, not after this. They insist that all their suppliers adhere to UK safety rules.
I work at a garment factory. And I can say the brands nowadays had been conducting even more strict audits before placing their orders on a factory. Especially in regards of the social compliance and safety measures. All must be done to prevent the same horrible accident reoccurring in the future.
In memorial of the people who lost their lifes on the Rana Plaza collapse🖤
Stay safe!
@@JOlivier2011 Thank you, and you too :)
Maybe this is true, but i have read many accounts of big companies requiring factories to sign off on health and saftey services, or enviornmental services, but accepting orders from the lowest bidder who are not being compensated enough from the big company to provide these services. Basically, the company calls ahead, the factory puts everything in place to pass inspection, then goes back to the lower, cheaper standard. Big company can plead ignorance, even though they know no factory could run at the standards the big companies are willing to pay for. Lots of winking on both sides.
@@TJ-bu9zk I have to agree that this is true at some factories, vendors, or even big brands
Thank you for your hard work!
I still remember hearing about this when it happened. The international reaction was immense and the magnitude of this disaster was hard to grasp. So many people who died out of greed in a single moment. This is why I never buy cloths from brands like Primark and it still sickens me that I had to work on the construction site of a Primark facility in England some years ago.
The international Thoughts and Prayers were immense. The reaction(key word action) was minimal
The only cloths I buy are European military clothes. Looks good, very good quality, mostly made in Europe.
I bought Swiss Army boots, Best 60€ I spent in my life.
Totally agree! I stopped buying from these places quite a few years ago. I buy 99% of my clothes from op shops. and still check the labels.
I'm particularly hard to fit, so I end up making most of my own clothes. But I've never minded paying more for quality clothing. I'd rather buy a piece that will last me for years than buy several pieces of cheap clothing. I always check labels before I buy anything. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford to avoid buying cheaper clothing.
Benneton, Bon Marche, Zara? All _good_ brand names being churned out of that building. Hardly the fault of those brands that the building was expanded unsafely.
Congratulations with 1 million subscribers !
Thank you.
@@batman_2004 Gothams falling apart and here you are messing around. I’m sickened
@@Phlayr Yep... disappointing from the Dark Knight tbh. He's lost his edge.
Bravo! Well deserved 🎉❤
Congrats to Fascinating Horror! 🎉
The album 'Apex Predator - Easy Meat' by classic grindcore band, Napalm Death, was inspired by the Rana Plaza Collapse. Vocalist Barney Greenway considered it "a major event in terms of human tragedy" with less media coverage and public awareness than it should have had. He concluded, "that's what truly highlights the point I want to make, which is that life seems to be viewed as cheaper in some points of the world, especially where it's treated as a kind of dumping ground for everybody else who is much more fortunate and who consumes."
Wow haven’t heard anyone mention Napalm Death for a very long time. Thanks for the info Skip.
Ty for adding this nugget! Haven't heard of Napalm Death in years.
Had no idea Napalm Death was this insightful.
The thought of adding several floors to an already built commercial or industrial building without permits, inspections, plans is insane. The amount of people allowing had to be huge, and it sounds like most weren't punished.
With things like these, most people involved assume that permission was given. Anyone with a concern often are told to shut up and do the work or get fired/not get paid. It's very easy for a single person to pull off this kind of BS just with the power of assumption that the other parts are being done. Unless it's specifically your job to see the permits in person, you'll likely never see them, even on a legit job.
and now, in that CORRUPT society, he is in "jail" :D and the trial will last for 15 years while he is in some fake jail or probably even home at "house arrest" :D what a mockery
@@FranNyan I mean unless he built the entire thing on his own by hand, there are plenty of people who would've been in need of seeing actual plans made by engineers. Said engineers would've needed to know what the limits of the permit were. There's definitely a chain of people not doing their job properly here and getting away with murder.
Thats what I was going to say. How the hell is he the only one in trouble? The contractors that did the work with out a permit are good? State and city inspectors didn't have a say I the building going twice as high as it was supposed to? I guess they got their fall guy kind of like the Boeing test pilot being the only one arrested in the max debacle.
Sadly that’s how it is in these countries. No builders ask to even see a permit, they’re just there to build. You can also just get a fake permit by paying off the guy issuing them. Most government employees are extremely well off because they take bribes. The whole police force also runs on bribes
I remember when this happened. Still beyond tragic, and these big box companies KNOW and still exploit.
One face out. One face in. Talk to my hand while I make all the money.
And the government will let it continue as long as it gets its share of the money. Corruption beyond belief.
Do you expect corporations to have any compassion? To have any moral code other than to maximize profit? If they did, they wouldn't be hiring foreign workers when America's cities are full of homeless people living in tents.
@@profd65 You know as well as I do that Americans don’t want large garment factories in their backyards because the garment industry is a very dirty one, and in order not to be it will cost $$$$$
Do you think the limousine socialists in California want to start opening up garment factories in their “beautiful” cities? 😂
@@Zyphera 2
Aside from the always great storytelling, I appreciate you touching on broader social and economic issues directly related to this story, even though they are much broader subjects unto themselves. I hope people are more thoughtful about their buying practices as these brands don't care about their producers' health and wellbeing, never have, and will not chance merely to the tune of 1,000 preventable deaths.
I'd like to know how I can manage to avoid buying from brands who were responsible for their employees working in that deathtrap when it collapsed. I have all sorts of products from brands that I know or suspect use underpaid or even slave labor to assemble their stuff, including the phone I typed this reply from, but I don't know what I should do to avoid buying their products in the future.
What gets me is that SOME owners apparently are incapable of weighing the costs of safety against the cost of disasters (or legal aggression). E.g. the owner of that building could have built a better one for maybe twice the cost of adding floors, but instead, he lost everything including his freedom.
The other things that gets me is that MOST companies go to great lengths to install adequate safety measures and procedures, but workers SOMETIMES ignore the procedures, and an entirely preventable disaster occurs.
Maybe the most puzzling behavior is that of lawyers who will attempt to manufacture blame in order to extort money.
People's buying habits individually won't affect this problem at all. It is an inevitability under capitalism. If you took down America's biggest company, Walmart, by some miracle of boycotting, then its successor would soon dissolve into the same practices. These practices are incentivized under our economic system. It isn't going to be solved with boycotts. It will only be solved with political change and class consciousness. Capitalism cannot be tamed. There is no reason to believe that it can. Its very basis is "gain wealth by any means possible." Why would a company do anything but resort to this? No reason not to.
@Dave Smith People have been proven to be horrible at assessing risk and especially acting on risk prevention. It's just such a blindspot, especially if you're a greedy ignorant bustard and everything has been fine up till now. It is unbelievable how people disregard obvious risks though.
@@Pandidolod ---- Managements vary, but most have proven that they do listen to the ground. You don't have to "bring down" a company to bring about change; a dip in sales will suffice. Your comment sounds like it might have been posted by a subversive communist revolutionary, sowing dissent, one who might consider moving to Cuba or Venezuela where they solve problems by executions.
Congrats on the milestone
As a garment worker and unionist. This is close to home.
I knew about this, but there's something in the way you tell the story...I could hear the pain in your voice. It was dignified and respectful of the victims...
You can hear the pain in his voice eh.
Every one of those companies that forced workers to go back despite warnings should be fined or boycotted. Disgusting.
It’s India bro. They’ll face no consequences. The entire country is extremely corrupt and inept. They’re about 30 years behind the rest of the world.
The west loves cheap clothes, which come from the poorest countries in the world by the hands of some of the most abused and exploited work forces on earth.
But hey, this cute top is only $5! SCORE.
@Anne Frank Vape Pen what’s your point? Why should people not care? Serious lack of empathy if you find this kind of thing acceptable.
Sadly, if every company that used slave labor to making clothing was boycotted, than public nudity would have to be made legal.
@@derkeheath5172 Thats not true. Lota of places that make clothes pay fair wages. But the biggest ones do not.
I remember emailing you about this. Thanks for covering this.
So did I
Aunt Barbara adores you!
amio korte nisilam
I did as well!
Dhonobhad bhai
It's truly distressing how many of the collapses on this channel are the result of altering the original (and safe) building plans without doing any new calculations. Add a few floors? No problem. Change the building materials? No problem. Lengthen the bridge? No problem.
Minecraft moment.
"Trust me, I'm an engineer."
Imagine just adding floor after floor, like you're building a Lego tower, and imagining that there will be no problems.
@@reddwarfer999 bro even Legos don't work like that
@@kaiyotee2475 Obviously every construction material, be it steel, concrete or plastic bricks will have it's ultimate strength. However adding a few extra floors to a Lego buidling and having it collapse under it's own weight isn't something that's going to worry any kid.
Its sad that your channel is so well known, because it shows that people's greed, incompetence or laziness causing loss of life will alway exist, let alone natural disasters.
you take excellent care with researching, reporting and remembering of the victims.
some of your videos are used at work in safety training to remind us of the dangers that can occur at work, and what the devastating effects could be.
So thank you for this channel and your hard work.
*not so well known
They've got 1million subscribers, they're pretty well known I'd say
This is bazaar to say the least 😁
@@Scorpio45Libra Yes, and it is sad that greedy, incompetent or lazy people destroy other people's lives so frequently that there is enough material to produce regular videos and develop such a following.
"Or laziness causing loss of life"
I challange anyone who watches this to check their clothing tags. Sure there was outrage and threats of boycotting, but most people were too lazy to put their money where their mouth is. Or would plead being poor to excuse themselves from continuing to buy from these companies.
While I could say a lot about corrupt businesspeople/politicians responsible for the deaths of thousands, I have to consider a culprit closer to home. I've spent money on clothing at too-good-to-be-true prices, and felt bad about the likelihood it was made in sweatshop conditions. Recently I vowed off doing this online when what I bought was clearly inferior to what the showed on attractive photographs. I felt like a sucker. This though, is the real bait-and-switch rebbery, a robbery of human lives. I hope I remember this the next time I'm tempted to make such a purchase. Fascinating Horror has made that more likely.
Thank you Fascinating Horror for such well researched and thought provoking docs that focus on the aftermath and safety measures and resulting laws as much as the horrifying part. That makes this channel so much better than the knock-offs that have succeeded it. You deserve 1M subscribers.
Hate to burst your bubble, but….. expensive items are also made or sourced in equally (or worse) appalling conditions…. Such as Nike shoes or Apple phones etc.
@@alanaldpal950 I think they're talking about slow fashion and sustainable pieces, though, not like, balenciaga and gucci, whose expensive price doesn't come from paying their workers fairly. Nothing anywhere is 100% free from cruelty but to say 'so don't even bother trying' is disgustingly nihilistic and benefits no one.
@@temp_unknown I did not say “don’t even bother trying”. That said I am not claiming to NOT BE “nihilistic”.
@@alanaldpal950don't worry about that other reply...some one thought they had an opportunity to show Strangers on the internet how virtuous they are, but as you pointed out, they had to put words in your mouth. Just another holier-than-thou youtube comment
Thank you for your comment. It's as you said. People are so quick to point the finger at someone else without taking a look at themselves and their own greed!
This incident woke me up and i stopped buying clothes and shoes all together, only thrifting and making my own when i need them. didn't realize it's been 11 years since then.. thank you for showing people what "fast fashion" do to these workers..
I thought it woke me up too. But then I researched how economically important these kinds of jobs are to the locals, and how these jobs actually pay better than the average gig.
You're not helping them by taking away their jobs. They have to unionize, and they have to organize to pass new legislation.
And they did.
Case closed.
@@PlayNiceFolks case closed? Hardly. A lot of countries got their independenc gutted by either hostile outside forces or sold out by their corrupt leaders. Their own means of living are stripped, and in it's place, an artificial reliance on corporations that will ditch them like Vietnam and other countries they deem not paying low enough slave wages anymore.
@@PlayNiceFolks better to buy from brands certified B Corp
@@PlayNiceFolks That's the same argument that was used to defend keeping people as property, you know. "well what else will they do?! No one else will employ them, at least we're giving them food and a roof over their heads!".
Garment workers keep dying from accidents and illness due to unsafe working conditions, whoever told you it's "case closed" has either not educated themselves, or has something to gain from keeping poor people in poor working conditions.
@@alice45-fgd-456drt to be fair its not the worst argument
I choked up when you gave the number of dead and injured. Such a senseless, unavoidable loss of life.
What in the god's name, about 3000 victims and over a thousand deaths in a single building collapse...
This is outrageous.
indubitably
Complete mind boggling
No quality leaders
Still, 'we' all buy the someteenth shirt or dress we don't need preferrably cheap at Primark
Hence the protests. I get the general impression Indians aren't terribly inclined to protest. So when you see this kind of response, its just goes to show how strongly they responded to this.
i remember learning about this in year 10 geography - most of my class didn’t pay much attention to it when our teacher put on a video about it, but i couldn’t tear my focus away. it was horrifying to hear about it and it felt so odd to have a bunch of people chattering around me whole i took it in. i did a lot of my own research on it and similar disasters after the fact … now four years later i see this, really unlocked some memories …great vid and congrats on 1M ! so deserved :))
I did the same thing in my year 10 geography class! The documentary had stuck with me all these years until now with how tragic and avoidable it could have been.
Thank You, Good Stranger.
The government turning away help from other countries is ridiculous. So many more could have been saved.
they wanted to keep it as secret as possible imo. They didn't want other countries eyes viewing the catastrophe and asking difficult questions. All to protect the scum who are responsible for this.
Must have been about saving face.
It really is stupid. It's essentially mutual aid. Bangladesh is a poor country that doesn't have the money or the need for a large urban S&R force. Nothing wrong with that at all. Many other countries are in the same situation. That's why there are international organizations in place that can quickly get the needed resources to the site.
Happens all the time. Some governments believe It’s a sign of weakness to admit you can’t manage your own crises. They rather sacrifice the lives of a few individuals than shame their countries reputation. In the US we have the luxury of being the ones to render aid rather than receive it so this value system seems primitive. Inherently biased to judge the culture of other countries from that vantage point
On the other hand it’s not surprising that a Crazy Cat Lady would label a poorer foreign society as “ridiculous”
@@drdrew3 hey psychopath, she values human life, not tradition.
This is crazy. I looked over as many pictures of this collapse as I could and it appears to obviously be a concrete structure. However, I have not been able to identify barely any rebar sticking out of the concrete which is always evident in any concrete structure that has collapsed. Perhaps I am wrong…I am not an engineer but I do have experience and knowledge of the process and worked as a Land Surveyor for many years so I have been on my share of construction sites. Maybe Bangladesh has different building regulations than we do here in the United States, but I couldn’t imagine pouring concrete for almost any construction project without the use of rebar. I mean it is what basically gives the concrete sufficient holding power. Or perhaps the concrete was of a lesser quality or even mixed improperly. Whatever the case my heart goes out to all those poor people and their families.
Korea is in many ways ahead of Bangladesh but that didn't prevent a similar situation in the Sampoong department store collapse. the owners just kept pushing and found builders just as greedy and unethical. So your eyes probably did not deceive you, there wasn't rebar, it's expensive.
@@angelachouinard4581 thank you for your reply. I suppose that the issue was undoubtedly the concrete itself. It was probably not even lab tested for structural integrity, I think that goes without saying, and shotty craftsmanship because the owner probably wanted it built fast, cheap and corners were most likely cut and contractors were probably persuaded with good ole’ money to meet deadlines regardless of insufficient work.
@@randyrobertson4686 the problem wasn’t concrete. It was unfettered greed. This is why deregulation and “free markets” are utterly deprived and incredibly dangerous. The unions didn’t fight for a century for nothing.
Same reason the Tangerine Taint’s 5 foot wide Mexican border wall collapsed in strong winds 😂
A common practice is to install rebar for inspection, then remove it and reinstall it elsewhere for the next inspection. Asia is rife with corrupt and immoral practices like this and life appears to be cheap, with such high population numbers. Qatar used migrant labour to build their stadia for the 2022 football world cup. 6500 workers died on site. The competition was highly rated by "observers" and "commentators." It's morally repugnant
Did you know? The former PM (whom the students of Bangladesh threw away through a bloody brutal movement) ordered that the plaza be made flat using equipment while people were still trapped inside simply because it was so much work to get them out alive. This horrible truth came out only after she fled the country. I'm glad we made her leave. Everyday something new surfaces up, some secrets that she buried deep.
Wow. One actual million subscribers. What a milestone. So happy for you, it’s incredibly well deserved.
One of my favourite channels on this platform, hands down.
All the best for 2023 and beyond.😁
Well it’s not a metaphoric million
Same! Glad he finally hit the 1M. One of my favorite channels too!
I'm a bit of a history nerd, but you might be one of the few people that can come up with stuff I still never heard about on a somewhat regular bases. This would be one of the events.
Then you’re not a history nerd at all as you exist within your bubble
@@ananasbananalmao 😂
Imagine giving the guy responsible for many deaths more protection than he gave to his victims.
They did that so he could face the court, and face the consequences of what he did. If they allowed him to be attacked, and possibly killed, they would not be able to prosecute him. He may get the death penalty anyway, but he needed to be forced to stand for his crimes.
Should he have given them bullet proof vests? I fail to see how that would have helped.
The most infuriating part isn't what happens to him (unless he is let go with a slap in the wrist, which I doubt), but what won't happen to others. This man didn't fudge a number here or there, he built an 8 story factory on a 3 story commercial building permit. Where is everyone that let that happen? Where is whoever allowed the workers to be forced back into a building that was evacuated due to severe damage only a day prior?
Don't get me wrong, no punishment is severe enough for what Sohel Rana did, my point is that he was the symptom of a much, much larger problem.
That was my takeaway too.
@@crazeelazee7524
Bangladesh is a little country with a lot of rivers, and many parts are liable to get flooded. So, there is a sure issue regarding construction plot availability. Sadly, to make up for the lack of quality spots, some corrupt individuals accept paw greasing from rich investors... It's unlikely to go away.
Reminds me of that shopping mall collapse in South Korea where you had those air conditioning units on the roof that contributed to the instability of the structure in question.
Sampoong shopping mall?
@@eliz_scubavn yep, FH made a video about it
Oh yeah I remember the video he made on it.
Built on unstable land, cracks in the building, delays in evacuation, extra floors added - I thought of Sampoong as well.
What makes this even worse is that the companies involved put profits over the lives of their workers - and wriggled out of treating them fairly going forward.
The minimum wage in Bangladesh is less than the cost of living, which is shocking... and if someone can purchase a T-shirt for a couple of dollars, with the company making nay sort of profit on that sale after transport costs and paying the sales staff, how little did the person sewing it get paid?
This is why there's a growing interest in slow fashion and more sustainable fashion, although the people who will always suffer are the workers in countries like Bangladesh, India, China and Africa. Because out of sight is out of mind.
Granted in much of the US minimum wage is far below the cost of living, though both are much higher than in Bangladesh. This is a problem in many parts of the world, with the growing difference between the wealthy and the poor. One thing I'd always like to know - but usually can't - with any purchase is how much of said money is going to the workers who made, shipped, warehoused, stocked, sold, etc the thing versus to the company's CEO, upper management, shareholders, and so on, to making the very rich even richer.
Companies will ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS put profit before people. This is the result of rampant, out-of-control capitalism. Something needs to change
@Caleb OKAY Who's god?
The pervert at the textile Mafia is:
A T Shirt cost one Euro in Bangladesh.
The big Brands have manufaktury her Textile in Bangladesch.
A ceo from a Manufaktury says :
"When i Sold/pay my Worker with the double of the minimum Sold, the T Shirt cost:
0.16 Euro more, but the big Brand will this Not pay".
Or instead of waiting for social attitudes and preferences to change we could... hold the companies accountable who export their business there to escape things like basic labor and environmental regulations, and then use their profits to lobby to attack those regulations in the west, too
I first learned about the Rana Plaza collapse after watching "The True Cost" documentary years ago. I cannot recommend the film enough. It really impacted my relationship with shopping, and opened my eyes to fast fashion/American cultures tendency to see clothing as disposable.
Glad to see this story covered in detail by fascinating horror.
Did you stop buying fast fashion?
@@ananasbanana Yes! I will accept clothing that is gifted to me even if it is from a brand that I do not support anymore. But otherwise I stick exclusively to thrifted/second-hand clothing and supporting small businesses when purchasing new clothes. My current challenge has been working on phasing out certain brands from my kitchen/bathroom supplies
Count Canada in as loving all things disposable.
@@kaytea0963 Do you have the disposable income to do so or is it a struggle?
@@ananasbanana it was a struggle when I gained weight and had to purchase new clothing in 2020-2021. Until then, much of my wardrobe lasted me a good decade. I'm fortunate to be in a living situation where I'm working for my room and board so that has allowed me to save for extras like clothing.
Congrats on the 1 million subscribers! You totally deserve it!
A really great channel.
Lol you believe the stats TH-cam gives? They hide the Dislike numbers!
@@Vicus_of_Utrecht I have the chrome extension that shows dislikes/likes... Go pester someone else
@@Petrolhead9198 how do you get that
@@Petrolhead9198 they deleted their comment 😹😹
This one is horrible!! The fact that they saw the cracks and told retail workers to not come in (probably so customers wouldn't be in the building) but forced the factory workers in is disgusting!
It's more than a bit sad that this is one of the relatively few disasters you've covered where someone who caused the disaster due their stupidity and greed--but I repeat myself--is actually held responsible even if pretty much everyone else involved got away with it and even if far more people died than I remembered. I heard about this disaster like I imagine almost everyone else not living as a hermit did, but I honestly don't remember the death toll being 1,000+--geez.
(Completely unrelated but congratulations on breaking the one million subscriber mark.)
How many of those 1000+ would have been saved if the government accepted outside help.
There seems to be a failure on both the owner and the rescue effort.
Its disgusting though that the companies involved are more concerned about their profits, even after the disaster, than the workers.
@@cyberleaderandy1 Including the name brand garments being made there.
Nothing is going to change as it is all about money.
@@Backroad_Junkie Oh, there's *definitely* blame to go around beyond the owner. I'm just sadly surprised that even the owner was punished given both previous videos and real life in general despite him being the most guilty of the government that refused more help from more professional rescue workers and the overseas companies (and consumers) that were knowingly using and encouraging such unsafe labor practices. I'd be genuinely surprised if any of the companies kept true to that "oath" of bettering working conditions overall, especially almost a decade later.
@@MusicoftheDamned The Bangladeshi government didn't really have much of a choice. With such a catastrophic volume of casualties, someone had to take the fall. If absolutely nobody was held responsible for such a senseless tragedy, the riots in Bangladesh would have likely escalated into a full-blown uprising against the government.
Rana, being the one who made the illegal building modifications that caused the collapse and ordered the factory employees to report to work, was simply the easiest target.
This did a lot to raise awareness here in Australia of sweatshop conditions for garment workers. At least for a while.
Yes, here in Canada, as well, but, as you said "for awhile".
Yup, up until everybody gets distracted by the latest piece of shocking must-hear celeb goss. As always.
People were easily placated by the big companies claims that they were doing something about it. Also everyone likes to say they are too poor to shop elsewhere.
Wow. I was not expecting a death toll over 200, let alone 1000. Needlessly tragic
That totally shocked me as well
A very well earned 1 Mil. I don’t know how you churn these out so quickly yet well made.
You believe the sub count but don't question why no Dislike count...
The soma has you all sheeped up.
@@Vicus_of_Utrecht 💀💀💀 get a girl or smt bro
Hommie's the girl 😂
@@iamstillwaiting9305
What a nonsensical reply. Do you even understand what you said?
@@Vicus_of_Utrecht TH-cam no longer shows the dislike count on any videos.
This channel and Planely difficult are my go-to in responsible coverage of such tradgeies- these incidences are to be remembered and never repeated
I love these two also! Another good one is Brick Immortar. He gets more in depth on the technical side of the diisaster while still remaining respectful of the victims.
Congrats for 1M subscribers! Finally found a channel that covers tragedy in such unique way, and it's worth the time to watch as well!
No question, all day
And to think people get mad about building standards just existing and being enforced in the UK/EU. Makes me want to point at this and scream THIS IS WHY, FOOL.
I've rarely heard/seen videos on this collapse, so thank you for shedding some light on this event. My parents are Bangladeshi, and most of my extended family lives near Dhaka. Although we didn't lose any relatives in this event, a few members of my extended family in Bangladesh knew someone who lost their lives in this collapse. I still remember how my parents were glued to the tv the entire day this tragedy occurred.
A senseless tragedy that could have been avoided if warnings had been heeded.
Thanks for posting this case.
I think it's worth mentioning too that it was apparently commonplace practice in garment factories to lock the workers in (and lock the windows) so they could not leave halfway through their shift. In a few interviews with survivors after the Rana Plaza collapse a few of the survivors say this was also the case in their workplaces too. I can't help but think about how that may have impacted things on that day.
Thank you as always for the short, thorough, compassionate and unsentimental recount of this tragedy. Your million subscribers is thoroughly deserved.
I remember this and the incredible number of deaths, and the disappointing aftermath. Even though the owner of the Rana Plaza was arrested, and is still serving sentence; many who also bore responsibility escaped, unpunished. I recall thinking of the Triangle Shirt-waist Factory Fire; though the dead were far fewer in number, the situations were very similar. The utter disregard for worker safety was, and is, appalling, and has no excuse. Those responsible should face accountability, but rarely do.
Congratulations for your 1 M subs. You always treat the cases with care and respect, and that’s what makes your videos so enjoyable even if the subjects are grim. Keep the good work and thanks for raising awareness in cases like this one
Totally agree ~ well said ❤
Thank you for remembering these lives lost to corruption, incompetence and greed.
Damn, that's gotta be one of the highest body-counts on the entire channel.
Congratulations on reaching 1 million subscribers 👏.
Most disasters are caused by human error, greed, corruption etc, not all, but most. It's incredibly sad😔.
This channel has given me fears i did not know i had before, but, in a good way...
Each video makes me health and safety conscious for a few days!
Thank you for taking this suggestion and covering it!!
This incident is so sad and it really affected the country in many ways.
Thanks for covering this. This had been such a big tragedy here and I remember the chaos ensued on that day so clearly.
So sorry to hear that. What a tremendous loss of life in what sounded like an already wrought community of dedicated working families. The corruption and pressure from managers sounds a lot more like greed from corporate wealthy elites than any responsibility of employees. Hearing that there was skepticism for the safety of the building just that day, but workers were financially pressured to enter and work regardless brings even more innocence and devastation to an already massive fatality count.
That all makes the protesting and worldwide shock to the tragedy all the more valid. I feel a bit less resolved emotionally by the conclusion to this video. Maybe it's simply because it was so recent compared to other industrial/commercial tragedies on this channel, but it does not sound like the safety measures or the parent companies involved felt much in terms of responsibility or willingness to improve worker peace of mind in Bangladesh following the chaos
I'm so sorry that this happened, especially that it would have been so, so easily avoided. I also think the aftermath is shocking, and I'm appalled that there's no official memorial. Garment workers deserve so much better. I would gladly pay a higher price for clothes if I knew that they were being manufactured in safe conditions and for fair pay.
The number of dead is beyond comprehension in many countries, it is truly horrifying. The fact it stemmed from pure greed and indifference makes it so much worse.
I've been watching too many of these videos- on New Year's night, I was hanging out in the apartment of someone I'd met at the bar that night when I heard creaking coming from the ceiling. I looked up and swore I could see a small section of the ceiling bulging. He was confused as well and said it wasn't normal, but that it was probably his upstairs neighbors moving something heavy across the floor. I remembered the collapse of the Champlain Towers building in Surfside, Florida a year and a half ago and mentally heard Glass Pond playing and you saying, "On the 1st of January, 2023...."
This is a hell of a FH video to begin the New Year with after that. Keep up the good work as always.
If I were you I wouldn't be going back to that apartment, especially if it is in the US.
@@cplcabs Lol, I won't be for other reasons, but I would be shocked if a luxury apartment building in NYC wasn't built up to code. I'm pretty sure the ceiling wasn't actually bulging and it was a plaster issue, since he said it was like that well before the noise started (the ceiling in my own bedroom has similar damage because of a fire that started in here nearly 50 years ago). I was just mega nervous having gone to a bar by myself in New York on NYE and back to the apartment of a random man (thankfully he was very sweet and even paid for my cab ride, and I arrived home safely and without incident). Not gonna lie, though, on the way to the party I was remembering the Dupont Plaza Hotel Fire video and made sure I knew where the fire exits were once I entered the bar...
People like Rana are the reason I don't mind Capital Punishment
Ending someones life isn’t a punishment, its a get out of jail free card! And nothing more! He should spend the whole rest of his life behind bars, confined to a cell, mow THATS punishment.
@@chrispaw1 ya but then he wastes food and water
Because he was solely responsible and no one else profited
Also blame the government for not accepting help they clearly needed!
this showed as the top comment for me so I'm writing this before I've watched the video.
What an appetizer.
Much love from Dhaka. I remember the day before the building collapsed, we saw a news segment about that garment building having cracks all over the place. When I watched it I didn't pay attention but literally the next morning the building collapsed. Everyone was warned but noone listened
You should watch the video again. All the factory workers were NOT warned. Only those that worked in the retail stores and bank were warned. The owner of the building was warned but FORCED every factory worker to be there the next day.
@@juggerfox I mean the general public was warned but no one paid attention to it until it was too late. After the collapse, the general public was up in arms about workers rights but didn't say anything when we all saw the news segment I'm referring to (pre-collapse)
Man I got goosebumps when u said how many victims there were. This is tragic
Never change the music. It’s so so so good
Great story. This was an important story to tell. The high cost of the things we take for granted should be understood by those buying things. Well done sir.
No clue why I was not subscribed to *"Fascinating Horror"* till now.
Very measured narration, without any melodramatic over the top script, language.
Yet very effective in conveying the message.
Ad someone from South Asia (India).. can only shake my head in despair.. over the agony and irony with which the people in the region live.
Especially the marginalised or those of the non affluent class.
Congratulations on 1 Million subscribers, I've been watching your video's since at least 2020. Keep up the amazing work.
I've always loved videos where it talks about real events but this channel is just the MVP of it
Congrats on hitting 1 million subs - excellent channel that tells horrific stories with dignity and always ends with how laws were changed to prevent it happening again...
*Congrats on 1 million!!!* 🎉 I remember Rana Plaza and the horrors of it all. Greed and consumerism 🥺
I subbed when you had 999K subs. Now you're past 1 million-congrats! 🥇🏆🥳🎈🎉
I remembered this being all over the news here in the US. Lots of people here were learning for the first time just how bad things were for the people, often young kids, behind foreign manufacturing. We heard rumors, sure, but this event kind of made it more real for us. Many people stopped buying certain brands. Crazy times...
I was only 9 when it happened. I couldn't understand it back then. But now I almost cried while watching it. It's a true horror. Saddest part is, other than the victims, almost everyone has forgotten about it. We celebrate our 50 years of independence and victory, we built our largest bridge with our own money,we have more major constructions going on, but no one mentions how many of the real workers are dying for the development. Every year in Bangladesh, there will be an accident where at least 100 people died. Most of them are probably poor, so everyone forget that incident in a week. I saw this horrible math on the internet that cost of 1kg beef is equal to 1kg of a victim when it comes to pay for damage in Bangladesh. Unimaginable, but it's actually happening here.
Thank you so much for sharing this video, Some businesses don't care about working conditions at all. Also congratulations on a million subs.
1:05 one thing you left vague, Rana Plaza was not located in Dhaka city. While it was located in the Dhaka District, it was actually located in Savar, which is outside the city.
Fast fashion kills. Thanks for covering the social aspect. It's not just a crooked businessman who mislead the government and the brands.
We have them in the UK too, with similarities of ownership and treatment of staff. Just sayin' . . .
Really glad these disasters in particular are being talked about
My hometown of Greenville SC, USA once claimed the title of "Textile Center of the World", so I know how things work in that business field. These women worked in "sewing halls" where wages are the lowest and penalties for not meeting expected production are severe. Here we had a legal minimum wage which was rather low, but it still wasn't as low as what these people got so our businesses closed the doors and moved. We had safety standards to meet which seem to be absent here. Nobody actually working in the building daily makes much money; all the profits and wealth go to those who are not there in large quantities. There are 'blacklists' of troublesome employees shared among all the companies so if you speak out about a problem you get fired and you cannot find another job in the business ever again. Since that's essentially the only business in town for low-skilled and unskilled workers you just put up with everything because you have no other viable choices. Now you're an 'economic slave' with no future hopes for anything better.
What a reminder of how much we take for granted in many of our home countries.
Thanks for a fine job of exposing this tragedy.
Absolutely love your channel! Thanks for covering this.
I used to live in a nearby area and I vividly remember those days. It was a disaster. So many people were affected physically and mentally. Thank you for covering this.
It is truly disgusting what people will do for the bottom line. They have zero respect for the dignity and value of human life. I have not bought new clothing for years…I only buy from resale shops. I do not want to contribute my money to companies like these. This man is responsible for over a thousand lives lost and over two thousand more lives irreparably hurt and ruined. I believe he deserves to be in prison for the rest of his life.
Congratulations on ONE MILLION SUBS!!! That’s incredible! You are truly a blessing to us all!
Thank you for covering this unfortunate event of my country.
I still remember that day when the rescue began. The tv live broadcasted everything including the crushed dead bodies. It was advised that the faint hearted don't watch... The building had no underground foundation for those extra floors. Unfortunately the situation of garments factories still remain deadly to this day.
I remember I covered this in part of my dissertation 7 years ago. It (temporarily at least) led to an increase in transparency around clothing production, but in Britain, Primark took almost all the media flack for this when multiple British brands with suppliers there barely got mentioned.
Could that be because Primark is an Irish company?
@@gerardacronin334 I hadn’t considered that, but the tabloids do love to shift the blame. Some of the others were owned/chaired by the über-wealthy lots-of-connections type businessmen, so they probably had sway to keep attention away from them. Primark had also been accused (to an extent, falsely) of poor labour practices previously, which made them an easier target for vitriol.
I greatly look forward to Tuesdays.
Actually I never know what day it is until Tuesday when I see your new video.
It's a perfect photo of the owner. The facial expression says it all. He knows well what he did wrong and that he got caught.
Well said !
I’m a Bangladeshi. Watching this live on TV was such a horror, one corpse after another were being removed. It’s been 11 years and yet parents/siblings/ children stand in front of the now nothing but field still searching for their lost ones. It’s one of those events where you’re angry, sad and devastated all together. May the souls that were lost that day haunt that monster “Sohel Rana” till his last breath.
I was 2
Congrats on 1 million. Thank you for also always reminding me when it is Tuesday.
Thanks man.
Duuuuude 1 MILLION!!!! I found you and the Why Files during Covid and became addicted, he hit a Mill last week, I knew you weren't far behind. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!
Congrats on 1M subs; they're incredibly well-deserved! Your vids have been a staple of starting my week for god knows how long now. Please let us know/show us when your gold play button arrives, either through community post or short!
Every week at work I exclaim to a coworker "He uploaded another one!" as I anxiously wait for my smoke break to watch your next disaster video. Never lose your seriousness and educative tone, great work.
Congrats on 1M subs! Thanks for the consistently giving us great content.
1 million baby!! Cheers! You absolutely deserve more. Your stories are always fascinating, even though they're usually horrific. Blessings for many more in this new year!
Congrats on the 1m sub milestone! Your channel is one of my favorites on TH-cam :)
The idea that the workers were sent back in before the building was thoroughly inspected, strengthened, and repaired is abhorrent!
6:30 "Glaring issues were missed by authorities". It's hard to believe that somebody added 3 extra floors to their building and no one has bothered to check if they had permission to do that. Who issues the permits in Bangladesh?
The people with the money.
A lot of palms were likely greased to get the permits without the tedious pesky process of actually passing the standards needed.
I think you missed a piece of the puzzle.
How may bribes were paid to have authorities look the other way? I suspect such behavior is commonplace everywhere....
I find that entirely credible, actually. How often do you look at a construction site and go “Huh. I wonder if they have a permit for that?”. Never underestimate the ability of busy-looking people wearing hard hats to fly under the radar.
Compare how this issue was dealt with in the 1995 Sampoong Department Store collapse in South Korea and you have to wonder why some nations financially prosper and other nations are doomed to stay in poverty.
I am glad that the person responsible didn’t get away with this and is continuously being brought to justice. There are so many videos on this channel where those responsible end up facing little to no consequences.
It is highly frustrating that the rescue efforts in question declined assistance from external sources, despite the fact that such aid was desperately needed. This refusal ultimately led to additional fatalities, as those responsible for the rescue efforts were not properly equipped to handle the task at hand. As I understand it, based on what I have read in the comments of this video, this type of occurrence is unfortunately quite common during rescue efforts.
Save money at all cost, save face at all cost.
I love how you have reached 1 million subscribers. Great content, and wonderful commentary. No pandering for cash or likes.
The “accidents” we have in developed nations are nothing compared to the shit these people deal with just trying to put food on the table
We dealt with the same crap in the United States before businesses were forced (they never do this stuff voluntarily) to provide workers with a reasonably safe workplace. Fourteen people died constructing the Empire State Building. Nintey-six died constructing Hoover Dan. Of course, Republicans piss and moan about these safety regulations.
And yet they are linked. Same oligarchs are screwing us all.
What a ridiculously asinine comment.
@@wellfuckyoumr elaborate?
So building collapses in "developed nations" isn't that bad? Wtf are you trying to say?
The biggest lesson I take from this channel is that nobody ever gets in trouble when poor/middleclass people die.
And this is why our building codes here in the US are so strict. Because greed is real and people will take advantage any way they can.
well, as bridges, dams and buildings collapse with some regularity in the US, it seems US building codes are about as strict as those in Bangladesh.
This is hideous. A man putting his own employees into extreme danger. Pressuring employees to work in a completely dangerous/illegal building. And lack of compensation? Gosh darn.
Alright!! A million subs and you deserve many more! And another excellent video! Thank you, Fascinating Horror, for all the content in 2022. Can't wait to see what you have in store for us in 2023!!
After watching this video 4 words stood out, No need for caution. "There is no greater calamity than lavish desires.There is no greater guilt than discontentment. And there is no greater disaster than greed."