South Asia News
LEAD: Five killed, dozens trapped in gas blast at Pakistan factory
Feb 6, 2012, 12:47 GMT
Islamabad - A gas explosion on Monday flattened a three-storey factory in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore, killing at least five people and trapping dozens, officials said.
A spokesman for the rescue service said four women were among the dead and eight people were pulled from the rubble.
Police official Sarfraz Falki said 70 to 80 people were still trapped under the rubble. 'We fear that the death toll might rise significantly,' Falki said.
Two nearby houses also collapsed in the blast.
Officials said the factory produced veterinary pharmaceuticals and was illegally built in a residential area.
'It was sealed three times but I don't understand how this was reopened. We should ask the relevant departments,' said police officer Malik Ahmad Raza Tahir.
Rescue workers were having difficulty searching through the rubble because the building was located in a narrow street and heavy machinery could not be brought in.
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