Rescuers have pulled nearly 100 people alive from the rubble of a collapsed bag-manufacturing factory in Lahore as the death toll in the disaster today rose to 18, officials said.


The incident occurred yesterday in Sundar Industrial Estate area where the expansion work of the factory was going on at the four-storey building when it caved in, reports said.


"So far 18 people have been killed. Another 96 injured were recovered and shifted to hospitals," Rescue official Jam Sajjad said, adding that 99 people have been rescued so far.


The search and rescue operation went on throughout the night as there are reports of people trapped inside the rubble, he said. It is believed that about 100 people are still trapped in the fallen building. With the passage of time, the chances of survival of victims are getting dim.