Eight-Storey building collapse in Bangladesh leaves at least 70 dead

The eight-storey Dhaka building contained a clothing factory, a bank and several other shops. It collapsed during the morning rush hour on April 24, 2013. A suspected crack was detected in the block on Tuesday and might be the cause of the collapse.

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

Local police chief Mohammad Asaduzzaman told the Reuters news agency that factory owners appeared to have ignored a warning not to allow their workers into the building after the crack was detected.

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 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.