Death toll in Pakistan factory collapse up to 18

Islamabad: A rescue official says the death toll from a factory that collapsed in eastern Pakistan has risen to 18.

The factory, which manufactured medicine, caved in on Monday in the city of Lahore after several gas cylinders inside exploded.

Rescue official Asad Ahmad said on Tuesday that workers have pulled 13 people out of the rubble alive. Around 30 people are still believed to be under the debris.

Government officials say the factory was built illegally in a residential area of Lahore. The government closed it three times, but each time it reopened.