At least 87 people are dead after an eight-storey building imploded near Bangladesh's capital. Source: AAP
AT least 87 people have died and many are injured after a eight-storey building containing several garment factories collapsed on the outskirts of Bangladesh's capital.
Tens of thousands of people have gathered at the site, some of them weeping survivors, some searching for family members.
Firefighters and soldiers using drilling machines and cranes have been working together with local volunteers in the search for other survivors.
Zahidur Rahman, director of public relations at Enam Medical College and Hospital, said by Wednesday evening 87 people had been confirmed dead.
Another 600 survivors had been rescued, Brigadier General Mohammed Siddiqul Alam Shikder said.
Reports indicated the death toll could rise.
Earlier, Hiralal Roy, a senior emergency ward at the hospital said at least 700 people had also been treated at the hospital.
"The toll will rise as conditions of some injured were critical " he told AFP.
The collapse happened about 8.30am and since garment factories in the area routinely work 24 hours a day, it appeared likely that the four factories housed in the building were staffed at the time.
After cracks appeared in the building on Tuesday, evacuated workers were forced back into the building, one survivor said.
"The managers forced us to rejoin and just one hour after we entered the factory the building collapsed with a huge noise," said a 24-year-old worker who gave her first name as Mousumi.
"I am injured. But I've not found my husband who was working on the fourth floor," she told AFP, estimating that 5000 people worked inside the building, which also contained apartments, a bank and shops.
Firefighters and soldiers using drilling machines and cranes worked together with local volunteers in the search for other survivors from the building, which pancaked onto itself and stood only about two storeys tall.
Home Minister Muhiuddin Khan told reporters that the building was illegal and violated the country's building code.
The huge death toll is likely to raise further questions about safety in the garment industry.
The November fire at the Tazreen garment factory drew international attention to the conditions workers toil under in the $20 billion-a-year textile industry in Bangladesh.
The country has about 4000 garment factories and exports clothes to leading Western retailers.
Tazreen lacked emergency exits and its owner said only three floors of the eight-storey building were legally built.
Surviving employees said gates had been locked and managers had told them to go back to work after the fire alarm went off.
The factory made clothes for Wal-Mart, Disney and other Western brands.
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