Pakistan building collapses, trapping many in Lahore
Baku, February 6 (AZERTAC). A factory building has collapsed in the Pakistani city of Lahore, with many people including child workers feared trapped, officials say.
Officials said the blast at the three-storey building could have been caused by a gas explosion.
One official told Reuters News Agency that both the building and two houses next to it had "completely collapsed".
Reports said one person had been confirmed dead. Rescue workers were trying to help those inside.
According to witnesses, about 150 people normally worked at the factory, including women and a large number of children working illegally.
Estimates of the number of people in the factory at the time of the collapse range from 30 to 100.
Locals say that the factory produced veterinary medicines.
It had been shut down several times in the past on safety grounds, police said. But they added that the current focus is on rescuing those trapped inside.
According to Reuters, the authorities were having problems transporting heavy machinery to the area to clear the debris because of narrow streets in the residential area where the factory was located.
Rescue workers shifting rubble by hand said that they were looking for voids, where people may have been able to survive.
"My house is near the factory. I felt a strong jolt and my house shook. I thought it was a bombing," local resident Awais Raza told Reuters.
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