Dhaka: At least 82 people were killed and scores of people feared trapped in rubble after an eight-storey commercial building at suburban Dhaka collapsed on Wednesday.
Rescuers have retrieved 70 bodies so far, while officials said the death toll could rise.
“We assume scores of people are still trapped inside and many of them would have died . . . we are continuing the salvage campaign,” a fire service official told BSS correspondent at the scene.
A senior army officer overseeing the rescue campaign said at least 500 people were injured as they were sent to different facilities for treatment.
Talking to Gulf News from the scene a local journalist said the cracks were seen at the Rana Plaza when the frightened inmates were seen in the structure but it collapsed from different sides early on Wednesday.
Rana Plaza, the nine-storied commercial building were used to house three garments units, a branch of a bank and around three hundred shops.
Television footages showed rescuers water bottles and dry food were being dropped to the basements of the building from over the debris where trapped people.
“It was a big bang and suddenly the building caved in,” a resident was seen telling a TV channel.
Army troops were called out as Prime Minister Shaikh Hasina asked the authorities concerned to start the rescue operation immediately.
Bangladesh witnessed the last major building collapse in 2005 when over 70 people were killed after a multi-storey garment factory collapsed in the same area.