Rescuers search for survivors of Lahore factory collapse

LAHORE: A four-storeyed factory producing plastic bags collapsed on Wednesday evening, killing at least 23 labourers and trapping dozens of workers under the rubble at the Sundar Industrial Estate near Lahore.

Rescue efforts were underway on Thursday to recover dozens of workers still trapped under the debris of the collapsed factory, which also claimed the life of the owner.

According to latest reports, the bodies of four more victims were found during the ongoing rescue operation, raising the death toll to 23.

"We can see the bodies of four more victims under the rubble," said the district coordination officer (DCO) in Lahore, confirming the latest deaths.

The official said that rescue workers had decided not to use heavy machinery due to fears of causing further damage to the collapsed structure and risking the lives of survivors still trapped under the rubble.

No part of the four-storey building remained standing after the disaster, and hundreds of rescue workers were carefully picking through piles of concrete and bricks to find survivors.

Officials said over 80 injured have been rescued, several of whom were in critical condition and were taken to hospitals for medical treatment.

It was unclear how many people were in the building when it collapsed or how many – dead or alive – may still be trapped. Officials have put the total number of those involved at around 150-200.

Several survivors trapped in the rubble of the factory plea

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Obama says bomb may have caused Egypt plane crash

With concerns over security mounting, a number of European airlines readied to bring home thousands of tourists from the Sinai peninsula resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, where the crashed Russian plane took off from last Saturday.

The Islamic State (IS) jihadist group has claimed responsibility for the disaster, in which the Saint Petersburg-bound jet crashed minutes after taking off, killing all 224 mainly Russian tourists on board.

Cairo and Moscow have sought to downplay the suggestion of an attack.

But Obama told a US radio station: “I think there is a possibility that there was a bomb on board and we are taking that very seriously,” while emphasizing it was too early to say for sure.

In London, where Cameron hosted Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Thursday, the British premier told reporters it was “more likely than not that it was a terrorist bomb” that caused the crash.

And The Times newspaper reported on Friday that electronic communications intercepted by British and US spies suggested a bomb may have been carried onto the plane.

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Thomas Drew appointed British High Commissioner to Pakistan

Mr. Drew has been appointed British High Commissioner to the Pakistan in succession to Mr. Barton, who will be transferring to another diplomatic service appointment, said a statement of UK Foreign Office.

Mr Drew will assume his responsibilities next year. He was also a UK’s political counsellor in Islamabad from 2006 to 2008.

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Court rejects Ayyan Ali’s petition for acquittal in currency smuggling case

The supermodel was arrested at Islamabad’s Benazir Bhutto International Airport on March 14 this year on charges of money laundering after being caught with over half a million dollars by customs officials.

The supermodel was released on bail from Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail after 122 days in the prison.

Her lawyers had filed an acquittal petition of the supermodel in the court which was rejected by the judge today.

Ayyan’s counsel Sardar Latif Khosa has said that the court’s decision will be challenged in the high court.

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