Bangladesh building collapse kills five, dozens feared trapped

DHAKA: Five workers were confirmed dead and dozens more are feared trapped after the roof of a half-built cement factory collapsed in southern Bangladesh on Thursday, police and rescuers said.

At least six people are in a critical condition after the accident at a building site in the port city of Mongla, local police chief Jahedur Rahman told AFP.

It was unclear how many people were trapped, with Rahman saying no more than 10 people remained unaccounted for, while fire service director Sheikh Mizanur Rahman said up to 40 people might still be under the rubble.

"We could see some bodies," the fire chief told AFP. "We have to dig carefully as there is a chance some people may still be alive."

The police chief said the cement factory was owned by Sena Kalyan Sangstha, a company run by the Bangladesh Army.

Buildings frequently collapse in Bangladesh owing largely to widespread use of shoddy building materials and a failure to abide by proper engineering and construction rules.

In April 2013 a nine-storey garment factory complex collapsed just outside the capital Dhaka leaving at least 1,138 people dead.