Woman pulled from rubble after 31 hours in Pakistan factory collapse (VIDEO)

GlobalPost

A 65-year-old woman was rescued from the rubble of a collapsed building in Pakistan after being trapped for 31 hours, reported the Associated Press.

Rescue workers reportedly heard Saleha Bibi screaming, and it took them hours to get her out of the rubble, said the AP. She had managed to find refuge underneath a machine when the roof collapsed on the factory, and remained largely unharmed.

The death toll in the incident has risen to 18 since yesterday, including 10 women and three children, the latest figures from the AP.

More on GlobalPost: Pakistan factory collapses, killing four and trapping dozens

Reuters reported that the cause of the collapse was a gas explosion. The rescue workers were in communication with at least six or seven people and 13 had already been rescued from the rubble.

The BBC reported that rescue efforts were hampered by the narrow streets leading up to the factory, which was illegally manufacturing veterinary medicine. A local trade union leader told the BBC that some of the workers were children below the age of 16, employed to pack medicines.

The police have registered a criminal case against the owners, according to the BBC, since the factory was operating illegally.

More on GlobalPost: Pakistan: Taliban kill seven soldiers

Here is video of the rescue operation, courtesy of The Guardian:

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