Two children rescued from rubble

THERE were brief moments of joy amid the horror of the earthquake shattered Iranian town of Bam yesterday when a young girl and a baby were rescued from under the rubble just as search teams were giving up hope.

But, as the death toll rose toward 40,000, expectations of finding many more alive were diminishing and one international team called off its efforts, saying there could be no more survivors.

Experts say 72 hours is generally the longest people can survive if they are trapped in rubble that time passed early yesterday.

But a girl with a broken leg was pulled alive from the rubble of a house.

"The only reason she remained alive was because the roof had not totally collapsed," said Iranian relief worker Shokrollah Abbasi.

"There was air for her to breathe. We found her in the kitchen. There was a plate of rice near her, and it appeared to me that the food had helped her remain alive."

He said the girl appeared to be about 12 years old and was unconscious when pulled to safety. He said he was able to find her because of an electronic search device designed to detect signs of life.

Then, elsewhere the devastated historical city that was once home to 80,000 people, a baby girl was found alive cradled in her dead mother's arms.

The six-month-old, named Nassim, was found in remarkably good health, said the Red Crescent.

Rescuers said her mother's protective embrace had shielded the child from falling debris in their home and saved her life. The rest of the family was found dead under the rubble.

Rescue workers from around the world have joined Iranians in searching through powdery debris that left little room for air pockets, which could allow people to survive while awaiting help.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and later, President Mohammad Khatami, visited the devastated city.

Khamenei told hundreds gathered in the street that he shared their grief.

"All of us are responsible to meet the demands of the survivors," he said. "Aid should continue to come so that, God willing, the city of Bam is rebuilt better and this time stronger than before. We can build a strong and developed city out of this devastation."

Khatami, in his first visit to Bam since the earthquake, said the tragedy was so overwhelming that the relief aid provided by the government and Iranian people could not meet the demand, according to the official Islamic Republic News Agency.

More than 25,000 bodies have been retrieved since Friday's 6.6-magnitude earthquake shook the city and surrounding region in south-east Iran, according to provincial government spokesman Asadollah Iranmanesh.

"Many, many more people remain buried under the rubble, increasing fears of a much greater death toll at the end," Iranmanesh said.

Officials fear he death toll could rise as high as 40,000. with at least 10,000 believed wounded.