One police official told the BBC that the collapse appeared to have been caused by the use of substandard building material.

BBC: Mumbai building collapse: Indian police arrest nine

George Weightman's firing was the first major military staff change after reports surfaced last month about substandard conditions in a building that is part of the facility.

CNN: Army fires commander of Walter Reed hospital

"Rana Plaza collapsed due to blatant violation of the building code, the use of substandard material and the operation of heavy machinery including generators on the upper floors, " Main Uddin Khandaker, a civil servant who led the panel, said in an interview.

WSJ: Bangladesh Factory Collapse Blamed on Shoddy Materials

Building collapses are common in India as builders cut corners by using substandard materials, and as multistory structures are built with inadequate supervision.

WSJ: Death Toll in Building Collapse Hits 72