CHATTOGRAM: A four-storey building tilted on the bank of a canal in Panchlaish area of the port city of Chattogram on Wednesday, triggering panic among locals.

Sources said the building named ‘Ferdous Plaza’ was a commercial structure housing seven shops and two offices near Sholashahar Railway Station.

Building owner Khorshed Alam Bappi said a portion of the building was demolished recently for dredging the canal.

But the protective wall built on the bank of the canal was not strong enough to provide support to the building, he claimed.

“When construction workers started removing mud from the bed of the canal, it posed risk to the building, which was built back in 1990,” Khorshed said, demanding compensation for the damage to his building.

On information, firefighters rushed to the site, said Senior Station Officer Kabir Hossain of Bayezid Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) station.

He suspected that the building tilted due to the removal of mud from the canal bed.

The entire building will have to be demolished now as it is at risk, he said.