All language subtitles for Fatal.Engineering.S01E05.1080p.WEB.h264-FREQUENCY_track3_[eng]

[narrator] The skyscraper --

towering over our sprawling
cities, these massive vertical

structures are a symbol
of engineering

innovation and progress.

But the race to build higher,
faster, and more often also

increases the chances
of disaster.

A summer afternoon in 1995,
the failure to acknowledge

and accept essential
engineering principles leads

to the death of 502, when
support columns collapse in

a South Korean department
store, crushing

the shoppers and staff.

The floors pancaked down
on top of each other.

In April 2013, 1,134 workers at
an overcrowded Bangladeshi

garment factory lose
their lives when the unlicensed

and unstable eight-story
building collapses

under its own weight.

The building collapses
floor by floor

in a catastrophic domino effect.

And in June 2017, 72 residents
die in a 24-story-high

London tower block.

Reckless engineering practices
and cheap construction

materials turned the building
they called home into

a towering inferno
that burned for days.

So they're trapped in place,
and the building is

burning down around them.

With our population only set
to rise in the future,

what lessons have been learned

by these catastrophic
engineering failures?

[main theme playing]

June 14, 2017.

London, England,
in the Kensington district.

It's 12:54 AM, when 999,
the UK's emergency call number,

receives a phone call that will
plunge the UK capital

into horror.

[operator] Fire brigade.

[Behailu] Yeah, hello, hi.

Fire in flack 16,
Grenfell Tower.

-[operator] Sorry, a fire where?
-[Behailu] Flat 16,

Grenfell Tower, [indistinct].

[operator] Fire brigade are
on their way.

Are you outside?

[Behailu]
Yeah, yeah, I'm outside.

It's the fourth floor.

-[operator] Right, OK.
-Quick, quick, quick, quick.

-[operator] They're
on their way.
-It's burning.

[phone line beeps]

The man on the other end of
the line is Behailu Kebede,

a 44-year-old taxi driver.

He is jolted awake by the alarm
of his smoke detector and,

to his horror, discovers
that his kitchen is on fire.

The fire spreads quickly
throughout the apartment

and then the building.

While Behailu Kebede
and his roommates managed

to safely escape the building,

not all the residents
are so lucky.

Most of the 293 occupants are
trapped inside

the now-infamous
Grenfell Tower.

I got woken up by the sounds
of screaming of people down

below, people screaming,
"Don't jump, don't jump,

stay indoors."

[fire crackling]

[Daniel] The residents need to
evacuate, but they can't

because their way is
obstructed by flames.

[sirens wailing]

[Rob] Smoke fills the hallways
and the central stairwell.

[Daniel] The firefighters are
doing their best, trying to find

the old, the sick, trying to
get them out of the building.

[Rob] Despite their best
efforts, there's no way

they're gonna evacuate
every resident safely.

[dramatic music playing]

[screaming]

Despite the arrival of
multiple firefighting

reinforcements,
it has little effect.

Grenfell Tower is
a blazing inferno,

burning uncontrollably,

leaving
the firefighters powerless.

It takes almost three days
for London's firefighters to

finally explain
extinguished the fire.

This is a completely
unprecedented fire.

In my 29 years of being
a firefighter, I have never,

ever seen anything
of this scale.

72 people lost their lives that
night, and many more

lost their homes.

Entire families perished,
trapped in their apartments

within this towering inferno.

77 survivors are injured.
Hundreds are traumatized.

How did a building in one of
the world's most developed

cities catch fire?

With 24 floors, 20 of which are
dedicated to social housing,

Grenfell Tower contains
120 apartments.

Each floor consists of four
three-room apartments on

the outer sides
of the building,

and in the middle,
two two-room apartments.

Behailu had arrived home to
flat 16 on the fourth floor

by 11:30 PM.
He's soon fast asleep.

It's the beginning of
a real nightmare.

[siren drones]

Unbeknownst to him,
a small fault behind

his refrigerator would start
a small fire in his kitchen.

[Dr. Shini] At 12:48,
Behailu is abruptly awoken

by the kitchen smoke alarm.

The kitchen is already thick
with smoke, and he can

see the fridge-freezer ablaze.

[dramatic music playing]

After waking his roommates
and alerting his neighbors,

he leaves the building to call
emergency services.

[Behailu] Yeah, hello, hi.
Fire in flat 16, Grenfell Tower.

At 12:59 AM, the firefighters
arrive on scene.

When the fire brigade arrives
on scene, they issue an order

to the occupants of
the building not to evacuate.

The risk was that by
a alerting all the residents in

a high-story building of
the presence of a fire in

a small flat, that there'd be
mayhem as everybody tried to

escape down the stairwells at
the same time, that there could

be injuries and potentially
even fatalities.

[dramatic music continues]

When firefighters ask
residents to stay inside,

it's because they're following
a protocol based on a building

regulation that dates
back to 1962.

This regulation states that in
large buildings like

Grenfell Tower, if a fire
breaks out, an apartment must

be able to contain the flames
for 30 to 60 minutes,

allowing firefighters time
to intervene.

This is known
as "compartmentation."

[Dr. Shini]
But its effectiveness
depends on the quality

of materials, maintenance,
and the building's design.

At 1:14 AM, firefighters reach
Behailu Kebede's kitchen.

This should've been a moment
of relief, the turning point

where they can take control
of the situation.

But in reality,
it's already too late.

Mr. Kebede's small
refrigerator fire was not

contained within the kitchen.

It was not contained
within his flat.

[rock music playing]

When the building was
constructed in 1974,

engineers decided not to place
load-bearing walls between

apartments, but instead only
used thin partitions

to maximize space.

The fire had escaped
ten minutes ago through

an exterior kitchen window.

Windows are key elements
of compartmentation.

The reason the fire spread so
quickly was because the windows

had been changed.

In the early 2000s,
nine million pounds sterling

was spent on renovating
and modernizing Grenfell Tower.

It was decided to replace
these older-style,

less efficient windows
with uPVC framed

double-glazed windows.

[Rob]
PVC windows increase the energy
efficiency of the homes inside.

However, PVC is flammable.

When exposed to extreme heat,
PVC begins to warp.

The dimensional stability of
PVC is such that since it

shrinks and changes size,

it's not good
for compartmentation.

The new windows are also
slightly smaller

than the originals.

To compensate,
the engineers installed

protective PVC barriers
around the windows.

But these barriers are
also flammable.

When the fire in flat 16
breaches the window and reaches

the combustible materials
between the gap, it effectively

creates a bridge for the fire
to move outside.

It crept out of the window
and started climbing

up the building.

[Rob] If you wanna compare
the Grenfell fire to a box of

matches, the fire that broke
out behind Mr. Kebede's fridge

is one match from that box.

The cladding on the outside
of the building is

the entire box of matches.

[narrator] In the early 2000s,
££9 million sterling was spent

on renovating and modernizing
Grenfell Tower.

[dramatic music playing]

The cladding was meant to
improve thermal insulation

and weather resistance.

The panels that were chosen to
be used were made of two thin

sheets of aluminum with a core

of a material
called "polyethylene."

Polyethylene is a highly
flammable material.

[fire crackling]

[dramatic music intensifies]

You have a great airflow in
between the cladding

and the building to feed
a small flame

into a huge fire very quickly.

This is particularly bad,
because that gap is large

enough, it creates a chimney
for the flames to jump higher.

♪♪

At 1:30 AM, the fire reaches
the 24th and final floor,

spreading across the entire
height of the tower.

By 1:47 AM, it begins to
spread along the northern face.

[Daniel] This is the tragic part
of the story where the original

order to shelter in place

due to the fire is
the exact wrong call,

because now the entire
building is on fire.

Hundreds of people were now
trapped by the flames.

It isn't until 2:47 AM,
an hour and 39 minutes after

the fire began,
that the authorities finally

order the evacuation
of the building.

But it's too late.

As fire crews desperately try
to extinguish the blaze both

inside and outside
the building, Grenfell Tower is

completely engulfed in flames.

The people trapped inside are
quickly becoming overcome with

smoke and fire.

People can't see where
they're going.

They don't know where
they're going.

So they're trapped in place,
and the building is burning

down around them.

If they can't get out of
the building, they will perish.

Adding even more chaos
to this tragedy,

the self-closing fire doors
fail to work,

allowing the fire to spread
even faster.

Unfortunately, the apartments
and common areas of

Grenfell Tower are not equipped
with any automatic

water sprinkler systems.

[dramatic music playing]

A monumental failure that
shocked the entire world

and doomed many residents
of Grenfell Tower.

In total, 250 firefighters
and 70 fire engines across

London were deployed
to battle the fire.

The next morning,
at approximately 8 AM,

the last survivor is evacuated
from the building,

but the blaze has not yet
died out.

[Rob] It took several days for
the fire to be extinguished

completely, but the legacy of
the disaster at Grenfell

would last for years to come.

[sad string music playing]

The faces of the 72 victims,
including 18 children,

will forever haunt the memories

of those who witnessed
this tragedy.

[crowd chanting indistinctly]

An investigation soon followed.

[crowd continues chanting]

Behailu Kabede was not held
responsible for the fire

and gave crucial testimony
about his actions

on that fateful night.

After 400 days of hearings,
an 1,800-page report exposes

a terrifying account
of errors and negligence.

[Dr. Shini] The poor management
of the building in terms of fire

safety, the inadequate response
from the fire brigade

and primarily the inappropriate
combustible materials added

to the building during
the refurbishment all played

a part in the tragedy.

The remains of Grenfell Tower
still sits in

the Kensington neighborhood.

In 2022, the British government
passes the Building Safety Act

to prevent further disasters.

[Rob] At Grenfell, the key
component to the disaster was

inappropriate cladding attached
to the outside of the building.

But if you're out on a shopping
trip enjoying your day,

the last thing you imagine is
that the roof above you is

a death trap.

June 29, 1995, in Seoul,
South Korea.

On this summer evening,
the luxury stores in

the upscale Seocho district are
crowded with customers.

One of them is the Sampoong
Department Store.

Spread across five floors
and four basements, it's one of

the largest stores in the area.

[Dr. Shini] The Sampoong
Department Store is a prime

destination for
the city's wealthy shoppers.

5:52 PM as customers
stroll, shop...

and eat,
the unimaginable happens.

[Dr. Shini] Shoppers and staff
on the upper levels feel

the building buckle
beneath them,

leaving little time to react.

[ominous music builds]

[rumbling]

The floors pancaked down
on top of each other,

bringing the shops
and the shoppers with it.

In less than 30 seconds,
the entire south wing of

the building collapses,
tragically trapping or killing

those unable to escape in time.

[overlapping screaming]

[crashing, shattering]

More than 1,500 people are
trapped under the rubble in

what will become one of
the deadliest structural

collapses in modern history.

[sirens distantly wailing]

[panicked indistinct chatter]

The disaster claims 502 lives.

937 people remain
permanently injured.

How could such an important
building, visited by thousands

of people everyday
suddenly collapse

in just a few seconds?

[people wailing and sobbing]

[Dr. Shini] Could this horrific
incident have been avoided?

Is there a fatal engineering
involved here?

At the end of the 1980s,
South Korea experienced

an economic and social boom.

Its capital, Seoul,
was preparing to host

the 1988 Summer Olympics.

To accommodate the expected
influx of tourists,

major construction
projects emerged.

Hotels, residential buildings,
and commercial spaces sprang up

at an astonishing pace.

However, at this time,
there is a national policy that

construction contracts will
only be awarded

to South Korean companies.

[tools drilling]

The investment opportunities in
construction are plain to see

to South Korea's millionaires.

Lee Joon was one of
those involved.

This 73-year-old businessman
leads a family-owned

real estate investment group
called Sampoong.

♪♪

[Rob] Lee Joon commissions
engineers and architects

to design a luxury four-story
apartment block with a basement

that would be used
for parking vehicles.

And the design gets underway
to construct exactly that.

However, before spades are put
in the ground, Lee Joon

changes his mind.

[Dr. Shini] Lee Joon decided
he wanted a department store,

a jewel in his property empire.

[cash till dings]

After construction permits had
already been approved

and signed, Lee Joon
encountered an obstacle.

To comply with
local regulations,

his department store could
not consist solely

of commercial spaces.

To bypass this issue,
the businessman decided to add

a fifth floor.

[pop music playing]

♪ There are some... ♪

Initially, plans called
for a lightweight

roller skating rink.

However, Lee Joon later opted
for a far heavier food court,

complete with
underfloor heating.

But these changes were never
signed off by experts

from a structural perspective.

[floor crackling]

This food court weighed
approximately 1,530 kilograms

per square meter,
increasing the load on

the structure by nearly 50%.

This additional weight had not
been accounted for in

the original design.

It's typical to have
revisions to the design

before construction happens.

But after construction happens,
it's very difficult for

the builder to accommodate
these changes because material

is purchased,
the construction is in process.

Aware of the danger,

the construction company
refused to carry out

these modifications,
but Lee Joon was determined

to build his fifth floor
at any cost.

Ignoring the advice of experts,
he made a mistake

that would have
serious consequences.

Lee Joon replaced them with
his own in-house team from

the Sampoong Group,
ensuring that the fifth floor

was built
to his specifications.

Since he owned the company,
he just circumvented

the official channels
and forced the changes through

without any legal oversight.

Additionally, he pays off
officials to sign off and let

his modifications go through.

On July 7, 1990, Lee Joon's
luxury shopping center opened

its doors to the public.

The Sampoong Department Store
quickly became

a landmark in the district.

It welcomed 40,000 visitors per
day, generated four million

U.S. dollars per week
for its owner.

Everything seems to be going
well at first, but over time,

the restaurant's ceiling shows
worrying signs.

It develops abnormal cracks
for a brand-new building

of this size.

By June 1995, the cracks in
the fifth floor are enormous,

some of them measuring
10 centimeters in width.

The cause?
Three unplanned elements

in the initial
construction plans,

three 15-ton machines

that will turn
the Sampoong Department Store

into a deadly structure.

When Lee Joon modified
the building's plans,

he had the air
conditioners replaced.

Because there was now extra
capacity with an extra floor,

the air conditioning units
needed to be bigger than those

that were originally designed
when it was just

a four-story building.

These air conditioning units,
when they create quite a noise.

And running all day and night,

the neighbors
eventually complain.

And so the solution is to move
the air conditioning units away

from the parts of the building
that create noise complaints.

They're moved 15 meters
further to the other side

of the roof.

But to achieve this result,
not everything was done

by the book.

To do that properly would
require the use of a crane.

This is too expensive.

So the cheaper solution
would be would be to just take

rollers and roll the air
conditioning units from one

side of the roof to the other.

[Dr. Shini] The relocation was
carried out without
any structural

reinforcement, and the roof
had not been designed to bear

the considerable weight.

[floor cracks]

It's 10 AM on June 29, 1995.

As customers flood
the department store,

the restaurant employees on
the fifth floor notice unusual

noises and cracking sounds
coming from the ceiling.

[crackling]

[Dr. Shini] Now, those on
the fifth floor watch

as the cracks grow larger
and more numerous.

Adding to the panic,
employees and shoppers feel

strong vibrations emanating
from the air conditioning units

on the roof.

[tense music playing]

Around 5 PM, the facilities
manager comes

to inspect the cracks.

He turns off the air
conditioning units in the hope

of stopping the vibrations
that seem to be

worsening the cracks.

An evacuation order is issued,
but it's already too late.

Fearing for their lives,
the building's directors

and board members who have
offices inside the building

flee the scene.

They leave approximately 1,500
customers and employees of

Sampoong to a tragic fate.

There's a breaking point
with this structure,

and that breaking point is
about to be reached.

June 29, 1995, 5:52 PM.

The restaurant floor is
the last barrier protecting

the hundreds of Sampoong
customers who are calmly

shopping on the lower floors,

unaware of what has
just happened.

The massive units,
along with the cracked

and fragile roof,
plunge downwards.

[Rob] That's only the start
of a domino effect.

The increase in size of the
air conditioning units the roof

isn't the only modification
that's at fault

for this disaster.

By altering the original
design, Lee Joon didn't just

add a fifth floor.
He also had columns modified.

In the original plans,
each column should've been

80 centimeters in diameter.

But to create more space
and install his grand central

escalator, Lee Joon had eight
columns reduced

by 20 centimeters each.

Lee Joon reduced the dimensions
of the vertical supporting

columns there to hold up
each floor above it.

But also, he moved the position
of those columns, meaning that

certain areas were totally
under supported.

And when you mess with
the columns, you're messing

with the structural integrity
of the entire structure.

Especially since
these columns are crucial

for this specific
building design.

The method is called
flat slab construction.

[Daniel] The flat slab
construction is nice because it

opens up the floors,
it creates a lot of open area,

but the problem is
the support columns are

the critical
mechanical components.

The support columns in
flat slab construction are so

critical because all of
the weight of the floors

and everything that's on
the floor is reacted down

through the columns
into the ground.

[dramatic music playing]

By ignoring sound engineering
principles and pushing ahead

with unsafe modifications,
he left his building teetering

on the edge of catastrophe.

It's still 5:52 PM.

The columns cannot withstand
the weight of the fifth floor.

The three air conditioners
continue their fatal plunge

toward the hundreds
of people below.

The force of the collapse of
those air conditioning units

with part of the floor above
down onto the fourth floor is

too much for
the supporting columns.

That floor collapses down onto
the third, onto the second.

Overburdened support columns
on the lower floors begin to

fail one by one, causing each
floor to pancake into the next.

[sirens wailing]

[crowd chatter]

Of the entire Sampoong
Department Store, only two

outer walls remain standing,
towering over a massive

pile of debris.

[indistinct chanting]

Lee Joon is sentenced to ten
and a half years in prison for

criminal negligence,
while his son receives

seven years for
manslaughter and corruption.

[indistinct protesting
continues]

The South Korean government
orders inspections on all

buildings constructed during
the economic boom.

[Dr. Shini] Hundreds of
buildings are deemed unsafe.

Of those inspected, one in
seven require intensive

rebuilding, and only one in
fifty is found to meet

acceptable safety standards.

[Daniel] Building regulations
are there for a reason.

Like, the permitting process is
an important step

in reviewing designs.

[people wailing]

The collapse of the Sampoong
Department Store became

a tragic symbol of the excesses
of the era.

An era where the pursuit of
profit led to the creation of

a deadly structure.

[Rob] Although with some
skyscrapers, it's not the roof

that's the risk,
it's the walls.

In Bangladesh in 2013,
inappropriate structural

decisions would be the cause
of fatal engineering.

We are in Savar,
a suburb of Dhaka,

the capital of Bangladesh.

This is the beating heart of
the country, thanks to

the textile industry,

which accounts for three
quarters of the national

economy and employs nearly
four million of its citizens,

80% of whom are women
and young girls.

♪♪

A portion of these low-cost
garments are manufactured in

this eight-story building,

the Rana Plaza.

Standing 25 meters tall
and 75 meters long, it is one

of the main production sites
for famous European

and American fashion brands.

The first floors are populated
by office workers,

but in the higher floors,
it's factory workers who are

dependent on their day-to-day
pay to live their lives.

On April 24, 2013,
nothing seemed to mark

Rana Plaza for notoriety.

Yet it would go down
in history as one

of the country's
deadliest catastrophes.

At 8:54 AM,
the building collapses on top

of the 3,000 workers inside.

There's almost a slow-motion
domino rally as floor after

floor after floor collapse down
onto each other, taking with it

all of the heavy machinery
and all of the 3,000 workers

who now become trapped inside.

[sirens wailing]

[dramatic music playing]

Many are saved, but the sheer
scale of the destruction

quickly overwhelms rescue
efforts, leaving countless

victims unreachable in time.

Bangladesh.

April 24, 2013, would go down
in history as one of

the country's
deadliest catastrophes.

[siren wailing]

At 8:54 AM, the Rana Plaza
collapses on top

of the 3,000 workers inside.

The disaster claims
1,134 lives.

[cries, crowd chatter]

What happened to cause this
building to suddenly collapse?

[tragic music playing]

Was it doomed from the start
due to fatal engineering?

We must look at the origins
of its construction

and the man behind it.

♪♪

[chatter and traffic noises]

In 2006, permission was granted
to businessman and local

politician, Sohel Rana,
to construct a four-story-high

building for light commercial
use, things like

offices and banks.

[Dr. Shini]
Although the architect's
designs are signed off

and a structural engineer
is initially involved,

the choice of locations sets
the project up for failure.

Sohel Rana chose cheap land,
not necessarily suitable for

a building -- wetlands.

[Daniel] The foundation for any
structure is very important,

because it's literally
the ground in which

you build anything on.

If you have a shaky foundation,
the building itself will have

not a good ground to stand on.

Building on wetlands presents
many challenges.

The taller the building,
the deeper the foundations must

be to reach solid,
stable ground.

To build a good building,
it's important to have a good

foundation, but it's
also important

to use good materials.

In this case, Rana Plaza
was constructed

of reinforced cement concrete.

While reinforced concrete
has advantages,

improper implementation can
have catastrophic consequences.

If the steel reinforcement
is poor quality,

insufficient or misplaced,

the structure becomes
dangerously weak.

[walls crackling]

When Rana Plaza is completed
in 2006, certain businesses

move in as planned.

It houses a bank,
offices, and several stores.

Emboldened by the success of
his building, Sohel Rana starts

eyeing new opportunities.

With demand for
a commercial space soaring,

he wastes no time.

The very next year,
he decides to expand.

[chatter and traffic noise]

He sought permission from
the authorities and the correct

structural and engineering
advice so that it would be

built in the correct way.

[Dr. Shini]
With little resistance,
he quickly secures approval

for a fifth floor, which is
completed in record time.

A fifth floor is built with
reinforced concrete.

[Daniel] The problem with adding
additional floors to

an existing structure is
the original design of

those four floors, it's being
asked to do more than it

actually should be doing.
This is a recipe for disaster.

But Rana isn't satisfied.

By the early 2000s,
Bangladesh is becoming

the epicenter of global
garment production,

a powerhouse for fast fashion.

With low labor costs, just over
100 U.S. dollars a month,

major fashion brands flock
to the country to churn out

clothing at record speed.

For local entrepreneurs,
this booming demand

spells profit.

And of course,
Sohel Rana wants in.

He moves into the fashion
industry, a decision that will

seal the fate of
the Rana Plaza.

To accommodate these lucrative
industrial tenants, Rana adds

three more floors.

This time,
he skips the formalities.

No permissions are sought,

and no qualified
engineers consulted.

Each unauthorized floor
increases the vertical load on

the building, far exceeding
what the original structure was

designed to support.

The building's columns,
originally designed

for just four floors, are now
bearing the crushing weight

of eight floors.

Without proper reinforcements,
the load distribution becomes

dangerously uneven,
some columns

straining more than others.

[Daniel]
Not only is the additional
floors in Rana Plaza a problem

for the building,
but also the machinery that's

added to the upper floors to
create the clothing, a lot of

heavy machinery that had a lot
of rotating components.

[Dr. Shini] After seven years of
operation, on Tuesday,

April 24, 2013, the day
before the fatal collapse,

managers and employees
arrived for work as usual.

But the routine is disrupted
when numerous large cracks are

discovered in the walls
and floors of the lower levels,

which house a bank
and retail stores.

[faint crackling]

Alarmed by the news,
Sohel Rana consults

Abdur Razzak Khan, a local
civil engineer who had already

helped him construct
the last three floors.

After a quick inspection,
the situation is obvious.

He makes it very clear that
the building is unsafe and that

it needs to be
evacuated immediately.

What does Sohel Rana do?
Doesn't do that.

Goes on TV and tells everyone
"It's OK, there's no problems,

these cracks are normal,
this is a safe building."

This is entirely negligent
and, as we will see,

contributes to
the overall disaster.

[Dr. Shini] Rana Plaza.

After seven years of operation,
on Tuesday, April 24, 2013,

numerous large cracks are
discovered in the walls

and floors of the lower levels,
which house a bank

and retail stores.

As a precaution, employees
of the bank and stores on

the lower floors are asked
to stay home the next day.

But the workers on the upper
floors, the beating heart of

the garment industry,

receive a very
different message.

They are ordered to come
to work.

Some workers express
their fears and reluctance

to enter of the building,
but for many,

there is no real choice.

The work is hard
and poorly paid, but they depend

on it to survive.

[dramatic music playing]

On April 24, 2013,
the day of the collapse,

3,000 workers nervously
show up for work.

8:45 AM...

a power outage
paralyzes the building,

shifting the deafening
clatter of sewing machines

into an eerie silence.

This is a fairly regular
occurrence in Bangladesh.

It's nothing out
of the ordinary.

And almost instantaneously,
the generators on the roof

fire up to make sure that
the workers can continue

churning out garments.

But these generators do more
than just restore electricity

to the factory.
They also create vibrations.

[dramatic music builds]

This further
weakens the building's

reinforced concrete structure.

As the generators start up,
there's a shudder through

the building that many
of the workers are used to.

But on this particular day,
those vibrations, that loud

shudder doesn't stop
after a number of seconds.

The workers sense disaster.

8.54 AM,

as the wall continue to tremble
with a deafening roar,

the inevitable happens.

The generators break through
the roof and begin

a catastrophic descent,
plunging the workers

of Rana Plaza into chaos.

The support columns give way
and the building collapses

floor-by-floor in
a catastrophic domino effect.

-[rumbling]
-[people screaming]

In less than two minutes,
Rana Plaza is reduced to a pile

of concrete and steel.

[people yelling indistinctly]

[siren wailing]

An unspeakable tragedy,
one that could've been

avoided at every stage
of this building's existence.

Of the 3,000 workers present
that day, 1,134 do not survive.

Hundreds are injured.

[people yelling and protesting]

Sohel Rana is sentenced to
a mere three years in prison

for corruption.

As of 2024, he is still in
custody, awaiting the outcome

of his long-delayed
murder trial.

The catastrophe raised
awareness among the media

and Western consumers regarding
the inhumane conditions for

Bangladeshi textile workers.

[indistinct protestations]

Under pressure from human
rights activists,

new regulations are imposed on
major international brands

to ensure fairer wages
and safer working environments.

[dramatic music playing]

And these examples of fatal
engineering goes to show that

it's crucial that the lessons
learned from previous mistakes

are not repeated, so that
the buildings we visit

are always safe.

Whether through corruption,
incompetence, or coercion,

poor decisions and unscrupulous
individuals sealed the fate of

innocent lives who paid
the ultimate price

because of fatal engineering.