Police fear 20 people were trapped in the rubble of a five-storey building that collapsed in Dhaka early yesterday, killing two women and a baby girl.

Police at the site said about 20 people were rescued, but 20 more could be trapped after the building tilted and collapsed as many of its residents slept.

?We woke up hearing a roaring noise and came running out to see that the building adjacent to my home was crumbling,? said Shusil Chanra, who lives nearby. ?People were screaning for help.?

Police said they suspected faulty construction, coupled with poor foundations, may have led to the collapse.

The building, in the Shakharibazar area of the capital, was home to several families and some shops.

People living in the area said residents could not escape because debris and furniture blocked the staircase and choked a narrow lane outside it. Witnesses said police and volunteers were helping the army in the rescue effort, but no other details were immediately available.