Bangladeshi officials say that at least 194 people are dead and many still missing in a garment factory building collapse. The building housed several different factories, with about 2,500 workers in the building altogether. The collapse comes five months after a factory fire killed more than 100 workers and led to calls for increased safety in garment factories. Labels from the site suggest that the factories were producing for Western brands like Wal-Mart, Mango and Primark. Advocates say that brands need to take more responsibility for how their clothing is produced, while brands say that they are not responsible for their subcontractors. The lower floors of the building had been closed due to structural issues, but factory owners on the upper floors required workers to come to work on the day of the collapse.
See "Death Toll Hits 194 in Bangladeshi Building Collapse", Julfikar Ali Manik and Jim Yardley, The New York Times, April 24, 2013