42 charged with murder in 2013 Bangladesh factory collapse

DHAKA, Bangladesh, June 1 (UPI) -- Forty-two people will be charged with murder in the 2013 Dhaka, Bangladesh, garment factory collapse which killed over 1,100 people, police said Monday.

Mohammed Sohel Rana, owner of the factory complex, is among those charged, as are his parents and over a dozen government officials, who allegedly ignored warnings not to permit workers from entering the nine-story building the day before it collapsed. Six stories of the building collapsed on April 14, 2013; over 2,430 workers at the textile factory escaped or were rescued.

The accused initially faced charges of culpable homicide, later upgraded to murder; they could face the death penalty if convicted. Lead investigator Bijoy Krishna Kar said future proceedings will be determined at a June 28 hearing.

Rana was arrested a week after the incident as he attempted to flee across the border with India. In a separate matter, Rana was sued by the Bangladesh Anti-Corruption Commission last week for illegal accumulation of wealth.