Unidentified victims in Bangladesh buried

JURAIN, Bangladesh – Dozens of Bangladeshi garment workers whose bodies were too battered or decomposed to be identified were buried in a mass funeral, a week after the eight-story building they worked in collapsed, killing at least 410 people and injuring thousands.

Hundreds attended the traditional Muslim funeral and many more watched from the roofs of nearby buildings Wednesday as the bodies, rotting in the spring heat, were brought to the graveyard on the back of flatbed trucks.

Local men and boys recited a prayer for the dead. Then, 34 bodies were unloaded and placed in the graves.

Cemetery workers have dug several long rows of graves where scores more unidentified bodies are expected to be buried in the coming days.

Around world, angry workers mark May Day

ISTANBUL – Workers around the world united in anger during May Day rallies Wednesday – from fury in Europe about austerity measures that have cut wages, reduced benefits and eliminated many jobs altogether, to rage in Asia about relentlessly low pay, the rising cost of living and hideous working conditions that have left hundreds dead in recent months.

In protests, strikes and other demonstrations held in cities across the planet, activists lashed out at political and business leaders they allege have ignored workers’ voices or enriched themselves at the expense of laborers. In some places, the demonstrations turned violent, with activists clashing with police.

Many nations have been struggling with economic downturns for several years now, and workplace disasters in developing countries are nothing new, but the intensity of some of Wednesday’s gatherings suggested workers’ frustrations have grown especially acute, with many demanding immediate action to address their concerns.

Associated Press