AZERBAIJAN: Rescue workers find victims trapped under rubble of collapsed building

Rescue work continues to free people trapped under wreckage of 14-storey building which collapsed in Baku, killing at least eight people. Rescue work continued throughout the day on Wednesday (August 29) to reach people who were believed to be still alive under the rubble of a collapsed 14-storey building in Azerbaijan's capital. Rescue workers made contact by mobile phone with people trapped under the huge mound of rubble. At least four people have been pulled out alive from the site, said an emergency services spokesman on Wednesday. Police and rescue teams used heavy equipment to dismantle the wreckage in the search for more survivors. One man rescued from the wreckage later on Wednesday was alive when pulled out. He was rushed to hospital but died 20 minutes later. Initial evidence pointed to shoddy building work as the cause of the collapse. The building, which was under construction, collapsed across a road on Tuesday. The capital of Azerbaijan, an oil-producing ex-Soviet republic, has been experiencing a construction boom with high-rise buildings springing up across the city on the shore of the Caspian Sea. Local media have said that much of the construction is sub-standard and in violation of safety standards. They also say developers bypass building regulations by bribing corrupt officials. Baku mayor Hajibala Abutalybov said the building that collapsed did not have permission and was built illegally.

ITN Source | August 30, 2007

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