Bangladesh Dhaka building collapse leaves 30 dead

At least 30 people have been killed and hundreds are feared trapped after an eight-storey building collapsed in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, emergency services say.

Building collapses are common in Bangladesh where many multi-storey blocks are built in violation of rules.

The eight-storey building contained a clothing factory, a bank and several other shops. It collapsed during the morning rush hour.

Many people have gathered near the scene looking for friends and relatives.

Police told local media that the rear of the building suddenly started to collapse on Wednesday morning and within a short time the whole structure - except the main pillar and parts of the front wall - had caved-in, triggering all-round panic.

Only the ground floor of the Rana Plaza in Sava remained intact after the collapse, officials said, as army and fire service rescuers equipped with concrete cutters and cranes dug through rubble to pull out trapped people. Many onlookers also joined the effort using their bare hands.

"I was in the cutting section of the garment factory and suddenly we heard a huge noise and the building collapsed within a few minutes," a garment worker told private Somoy TV.

"I removed the rubble and came out with two other workers. But at least 30 other workers in my cutting section were still unaccounted for," he said.
Source: BBC Posted by Unknown 4/24/2013