Bangladesh building collapse kills at least 70, hundreds injured

Dhaka: At least 70 people were killed and several others feared dead today when an eight-storey commercial building collapsed in the Bangladeshi capital.

Rescuers retrieved 70 bodies and feared scores of people were trapped inside the debris of the Rana Plaza, the building housing around three hundred shops in suburban Dhaka.

Health Minister AFM Ruhal Huq put the death toll more than 70.

"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 said.

A senior army officer, overseeing the rescue campaign, said at least 500 people were injured and they were sent to different facilities for treatment.

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An eyewitness told PTI that cracks were seen in the building yesterday and it collapsed from different sides.

Television footages showed rescue workers dropping water bottles and dry food to the basements of the building where people were trapped.

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"It was a big bang and suddenly the building caved in," a resident was quoted as saying by a TV channel.

Army troops were called out as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked the authorities concerned to start the rescue operation immediately.

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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.