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Pakistan Lahore factory collapse: Voices heard in rubble Pakistan Lahore factory collapse: Hopes dim for survivors
(about 5 hours later)
A major rescue operation is under way to save dozens of people thought to be trapped under rubble after a factory collapsed in Lahore, Pakistan. A huge clear-up operation is under way at the site of a collapsed factory in the Pakistani city of Lahore, as hopes fade that more survivors can be found.
At least 20 people died when the plastic bag factory, which was under construction, collapsed on Wednesday. At least 21 people died when the plastic bag factory that was under construction collapsed on Wednesday.
Officials say the priority is to get to parts of the debris where voices and cries for help can still be heard. Heavy machinery, diggers and drills are dismantling the building.
The cause of the collapse is still unknown. Building safety levels are often below standard in Pakistan. It is thought that between 150 and 200 people were inside the structure, with about 100 rescued so far. Officials have warned the death toll could rise.
There are reports that the earthquake which hit Pakistan two weeks ago, or faulty construction work, may have contributed to the collapse. The authorities have not officially ended the search for survivors.
Two floors of the factory, in the Sundar Industrial Estate on the outskirts of the city, were operational, while a third was being built. Soldiers and emergency services say that the rescue effort required carefully cutting through steel and the use of cranes and other heavy machinery to remove tonnes of debris.
One of the trapped workers, Liaqat Ali, was able to call a television station from his mobile phone. "Almost 24 hours have passed and there are less chances of life now," Punjab province's head of rescue services Arshad Zia told the AFP news agency.
"We were working on the first floor when the roof collapsed," he said. Rescuers have only managed to move rubble from the top two floors, he said, and the fear is that more workers were on the bottom floors at the time of the collapse.
"Now, I can hear the rumble of heavy machines which gives me hope that I will come out alive." Mr Zia insisted that there was still a chance survivors could be found. "Miracles can happen at any time and that's why we are moving slowly," he said.
At the scene: Shaimaa Khalil, BBC News, Lahore It is not clear exactly how many people were in the building when it collapsed or how many - either alive or dead - may still be buried beneath the rubble at the Sundar industrial estate, about 45km (30 miles) south-west of Lahore's city centre.
Layer upon layer of bricks, concrete and mangled metal rods is what remains of the four-storey factory. Some reports say that as many as 200 people were inside - including underage workers and the owner.
In the gaps between the piles of rubble you can see bits of machinery, and piles of plastic strips used for the shopping bags the factory made. 'Crushed by a heap of concrete'
Looking at the destruction it's very hard to imagine how anyone could still be alive under there. But a rescue worker I spoke to said he could hear voices and movement and told me there is still hope some people could be pulled out alive. Factory employee Mohammad Navid told AFP that up to 50 shift workers may have been sleeping in a section of the building unreached by rescuers and that children as young as 12 were working there.
Relatives of the victims have gathered outside the factory premises. Some have been waiting for hours to hear about their loved ones. Other survivors quoted by the Reuters news agency said the factory's owner was adding a new floor to the building and had ignored advice from his contractor and pleas from his workers to stop the extension after cracks in the walls appeared following a powerful earthquake last week.
A mother told me her four sons were working at the factory when it collapsed - three were injured and pulled out, but another is still trapped. Muhammad Ramzan, 22, one of the survivors, said that he saw cracks in the structure moments before the collapse.
Cranes and bulldozers are being used and the army is assisting in the rescue efforts. "I immediately drew the owner's attention towards the cracks. He was watching them when the roof collapsed and I saw him being crushed by a heap of concrete that led to his death," he told Reuters.
About 200 labourers are thought to have been in the building at the time of the incident, according to Jam Sajjad Hussain, a spokesman for the rescue services. Other survivors said they were able to give instructions as to their whereabouts beneath the debris by calling relatives on their mobile phones.
Other estimates in the Pakistani media have put the figure closer to 150 people. "I ran towards the stairs but they collapsed before I reached there and then the whole building collapsed," said 16-year-old Mohammad Asghar, who suffered a broken arm and a head injury.
Mr Hussain told the BBC that 98 people had been pulled out alive and many were then taken to hospital. "I stayed in touch with my father on [the] phone and was recovered after 13 hours."
He said it was difficult to know exactly how many people were still trapped because the owner and administrative employees were among those inside the building. The BBC's Shaimaa Khalil, who is at the scene of the disaster, says that it is hard to imagine how anyone could still be alive under the rubble.
The army has said that it is deploying a team of engineers and experts to take part in the rescue. Building safety levels are often below standard in Pakistan.
In September last year at least 24 people were killed in Lahore when the roof of a mosque collapsed.In September last year at least 24 people were killed in Lahore when the roof of a mosque collapsed.
At least 17 people - including children - were killed in a factory collapse following a gas explosion in a residential area of the city in February 2012.At least 17 people - including children - were killed in a factory collapse following a gas explosion in a residential area of the city in February 2012.
Are you in Lahore? Did you witness the factory collapse? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your story.Are you in Lahore? Did you witness the factory collapse? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your story.
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