Bangladesh: Rescuers use massive strips of cloth as escape chutes after textile factory collapses killing at least 96 people Tens of thousands of people gathered at the site searching for family members this morning At least 700 people are injured and reports indicate the death toll could rise Unclear what caused the collapse but local media reports said a crack was detected in the block on Tuesday A textile business in the building lists Primark, Matalan, Mango and Benetton among is customer base An eight-storey building housing several garment factories collapsed this morning in Bangladesh, killing at least 96 people and trapping many more in the rubble. Rescuers tied sheets of fabric to upper floors of the wreckage so those inside could climb or slide down and escape. Fire fighters and army personnel worked frantically through the morning at the Rana Plaza building in Savar, 30 km (19 miles) outside Dhaka, to rescue people trapped inside. An official at a control room set up to provide information about the missing and injured said more than 700 people were injured. The collapse happened about 8:30 a.m. and since garment factories in the area routinely work 24 hours a day, it appeared likely that the five factories housed in the building were staffed at the time. The website of a company called New Wave, which had two factories in the building, listed Primark, Matalan, Mango and Benetton among its customers. Escape: Rescuers used massive strips of cloth as escape chutes from the textile factories to help the workers escape the devastation after the eight-storey building collapsed in Bangladesh Destroyed: The building housed several garment factories and collapsed near Bangladesh's capital this morning, killing at least 32 people and trapping many more in the rubble Business: The website of a company called New Wave, which had two factories in the building, listed Primark, Matalan, Mango and Benetton among its customers Rescue: Brig. Gen. Mohammed Siddiqul Alam Shikder said 32 people have been confirmed dead and another 600 survivors had been rescued Terrifying: A distressed woman is seen going down the temporary escape - fire fighters and army personnel worked frantically through the morning at the Rana Plaza building in Savar Grim: Rescue workers use clothes to bring down survivors and bodies after the collapse Escape: Bangladeshi garment workers use lengths of material to evacuate from the rubble Using drilling machines and cranes rescue workers worked together with local volunteers in the search for other survivors from the building, which pancaked onto itself and stood only about two stories tall. Tens of thousands of people gathered at the site - some of them were weeping survivors, some searching for family members. Mohammad Asaduzzaman, in charge of the area's police station, said factory owners appeared to have ignored a warning not to allow their workers into the building after a crack was detected in the block on Tuesday. The factories which employed mostly women included Ether Tex Ltd., whose chairman said he was unaware of any warnings not to open the workshops. 'There was some crack at the second floor, but my factory was on the fifth floor,' said Muhammad Anisur Rahman. The owner of the building told our floor manager that it is not a problem and so you can open the factory. He initially said that his firm had been sub-contracted to supply Wal-Mart Stores Inc, the world's largest retailer, and Europe's C&A. In a subsequent interview he said he had been referring to an order in the past, not current work. Wal-Mart did not immediately respond to requests for comment. C&A said that, based on its best information, it had no contractual relationship with any of the production units in the building that collapsed. Workers said they didn't know what specific clothing brands were being produced in the building because labels are attached after the products are finished. 'It is dreadful that leading brands and governments continue to allow garment workers to die or suffer terrible disabling injuries in unsafe factories making clothes for Western nations' shoppers,' Laia Blanch of the U.K. anti-poverty charity War on Want said in a statement. Safety: Buildings in the crowded city of Dhaka are sometimes erected without permission and many do not comply with construction regulations. Dozens died when a garment factory collapsed in the same area eight years ago 'It looks like an earthquake has struck here,' said one resident as he looked on at the chaotic scene of smashed concrete Collapse: The building near Bangladesh's capital housed several garment factories and was likely to be packed Medical help: A garment worker who was trapped under the rubble is carried to safety by a rescuer Punish: Home Minister Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir told reporters during a visit to the site that the building had violated construction codes and 'the culprits would be punished' One fireman said that about 2,000 people were in the building when the upper floors jolted down on top of each other. 'It looks like an earthquake has struck here,' said one resident as he looked on at the chaotic scene of smashed concrete and ambulances making their way through the crowds of workers and wailing relatives of those still inside. 'I was at work on the third floor, and then suddenly I heard a deafening sound, but couldn't understand what was happening. I ran and was hit by something on my head,' said Sohra Begum a worker at one of the garment factories. Abdur Rahim, who worked on the fifth floor, said a factory manager assured them there was no problem, so they went inside. `We started working. After about an hour or so the building collapsed suddenly,' he said. He next remembered regaining consciousness outside the building. Home Minister Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir told reporters during a visit to the site that the building had violated construction codes and 'the culprits would be punished.' Sumi, a 25-year-old worker who goes by one name, said she was sewing jeans on the fifth floor with at least 400 others when the building fell. 'It collapsed all of a sudden,' she said. No shaking, no indication. It just collapsed on us. She said she managed to reach a hole in the building through which rescuers pulled her out. Race against time: 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 stories tall The collapse stirred memories of a fatal fire in a garment factory in November that killed 112 people and raised an outcry about safety in the nation's garment industry Packed: The collapse happened about 8:30 a.m. and since garment factories in the area routinely work 24 hours a day, it appeared likely that the four housed in the building were staffed at the time Search: Tens of thousands of people gathered at the site, some of them weeping survivors, some searching for family members Risky: This morning hundreds of people could be seen clambering around the unsafe site in a desperate bid to find survivors Devastated: A woman cries on the site of the damaged building as she watches the rescue operation Business: The country has about 4,000 garment factories and exports clothes to leading Western retailers. The industry wields vast power in the South Asian nation Anxious wait: Relative and friends arrived at the site holding pictures of missing garment workers in an attempt to locate them Anxious wait: It is not clear what caused the collapse but local media reports said a crack was detected in the block on Tuesday Concern: People mourn for their relatives, who are trapped inside the rubble - thousands of people descended on the site An arm jutted out of one section of rubble. The lifeless body of a woman covered in dust could be seen in another. A firefighter carried the body of what appeared to be a teenager from the area. Rahim said his mother and father, who worked with him in the factory, were trapped inside. `'I have no idea what is going on,' he said. Mosammat Khurshida wailed as she looked for her husband. He came to work in the morning. I can't find him,' she said. 'I don't know where he is. He does not pick up his phone. The building, in the Dhaka suburb of Savar, also housed a bank and shops. Zahidur Rahman, director of public relations at Enam Medical College and Hospital, said by Wednesday evening 87 people had been confirmed dead. Brig. Gen. Mohammed Siddiqul Alam Shikder said 600 people had been rescued. At the morgue of the medical college, many wailed as they waited for the bodies of their loved ones. 'Where's my mother? Where's my mother? Tell me, tell me, oh Allah, oh Allah,' Rana Ahmed cried. Buildings in the crowded city of Dhaka are sometimes erected without permission and many do not comply with construction regulations. Dozens died when a garment factory collapsed in the same area eight years ago. The collapse stirred memories of a fatal fire in a garment factory in November that killed 112 people and raised an outcry about safety in the nation's garment industry. The 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 4,000 garment factories and exports clothes to leading Western retailers. The industry wields vast power in the South Asian nation. 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.