At least 87 people have been killed and many more are feared trapped after an eight-storey building collapsed on the outskirts of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, government officials say.

Firefighters and army personnel are leading the operation to rescue those caught beneath the debris in Savar.

More than 600 people have been injured. The death toll is expected to rise.

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

The Rana Plaza building contained several clothing factories, a bank and a market.

It collapsed at about 0900 local time (0300 GMT), during the morning rush hour. Sohel Rana, a local who rescued several people, told Bangladeshi newspaper The Daily Star that he had heard cries for help coming from under the rubble.

The scene looked like a "war zone”, Dhaka resident Tahsin Mahmoo told the BBC, adding that appeals had been put out for citizens to donate blood.

Hundreds of people, anxious for news of friends and relatives, have gathered at the scene. Others are moving rubble using their bare hands. 

"Already we’ve rescued three to four hundred people... Now we are cutting through the concrete walls and trying to get inside with the help of sniffer dogs,” fire brigade chief Ali Ahmed Khan told the BBC Bengali service.

Police told local media that the rear of the building had 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.

An eyewitness described the moment of the building’s collapse: "It became completely dark on this side. There was a lot of dust from the collapsing debris, so we ran downstairs. When we came out we saw the whole building collapsed.” Only the ground floor of the building remained intact after the collapse, officials said.

Agencies