Children rescued as Palermo apartments collapse

Fire-fighters lifting a three-year-old child from the rubble yesterday after a three-story apartment building in the centre of Palermo collapsed, following a suspected gas explosion.

Another three-year-child and one adult were pulled to safety as the fire- fighters searched for other survivors; up to 10 people were buried in the blast.

The three that had been rescued so far were only slightly injured, reports said. The authorities did not immediately know how many people were in the building when it collapsed. - AP, Palermo

Photograph: AFP