Cracks in another commercial building in Mohammadpur

Over 5,000 garment workers were evacuated from a six-storey building in Mohammadpur of the capital Thursday morning after cracks developed in it.

The evacuation comes a day after cracks led to the collapse of a nine-storey building in Savar, leaving at least 191 people were killed and over 1,200 injured. The building "Rana Plaza" housed five garment factories, a branch of Brac Bank and a shopping centre.

Panic griped the workers as they noticed cracks around 7:30am at a pillar on the second-floor of the building, housing three garment factories and several shops, said Azizul Haque, officer-in-charge (OC) of Mohammadpur Police Station.

On information police rushed to the spot and kept the building cordoning off.

Officials of Fire Service and Civil Defence and Dhaka City Corporation reached the scene and were scrutinising whether the building posed any risk when this report was filed around 11:30am, the OC added.