Bangladesh army hits back at hoax factory rescue claims

Bangladesh's army has rejected as "vile" newspaper reports that called the rescue of a textile worker trapped for 17 days in a collapsed garment factory a hoax.

A pro-opposition Bangladeshi daily first reported the story last week, branding the rescue of seamstress Reshma fake, and quoting a male colleague as saying she escaped the building with him on the same day it collapsed in April, killing 1,129 people.

A story was also published in the British tabloid the Sunday Mirror, quoting the same worker, who has since gone into hiding.

"We spent two days in hospital but then she vanished. The next time I saw her was on TV 17 days later. They said it was a miracle. But it was a fake," the Mirror quoted the colleague as saying.

The army, which oversaw the rescue operation, slammed the reports as "misleading, imprudent and fictitious".

"It is a vile attempt to raise questions on the dedication, honesty and humanity of the rescue workers," the army said in a statement.