Pakistani teen survives two days under rubble

The teenager complained to the rescuers about a pain in his foot, but he had no visible injuries and was able to talk, according to Pakistani officials.

"An 18-year-old Muhammad Shahid was also evacuated alive 50 hours after the building collapsed by the blessing of God," Muhammad Usman, a top administration official in Lahore, told the AFP news agency on Saturday.

The Pakistani media showed rescue workers jumping in the air after helping Shahid to an ambulance, with others shouting "God is great."

The rescue teams are still working to clear up steel and concrete rubble after a four-storey polythene bag factory collapsed earlier in the week.

At least 37 people died in the incident, while over 100 have been pulled out alive, according to Lahore's chief administrator Usman. Several workers are still believed to be trapped under the ruins.

Back from the dead

The family of Muhammad Shahid had already received a disfigured body they believed to be the teenage boy, and buried him in their ancestral town of Kabirwala, some 265 kilometers (164 miles) from Lahore.

Shahid's relatives said it was a "miracle" to have him back.

"The entire family is very happy," his cousin Kalim Ullah said. "They are all rushing to Lahore to see him."

The exact cause of the factory's collapse is still unknown, although officials speculate that the building may have suffered structural damage in an earthquake two weeks ago.

Punjab labor minister Raja Ashfaq Sarwar said that the authorities have started an investigation and "will probe all angles," with a report due in less than two weeks.