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15:43 GMT, Saturday, 29 March 2008

Angolan police station collapses

Building collapse

Food and mobile phones have been given to people trapped inside a collapsed police building, say rescuers in Angola's capital, Luanda.

The headquarters of Angola's police criminal investigation department, collapsed with about 100 people inside.

Police say the female detention centre was worst hit, and a woman and baby are still trapped inside.

There are no reports of fatalities, but officials say it could be days before they can excavate the entire site.

Most of those affected by the early morning collapse of the six-storey building are detainees and have been pulled out alive, say officials.

"The most seriously wounded have been taken to the military hospital and others to the Sao Paolo prison hospital," Commander Eugenio Laborinho told AFP news agency.

One survivor was quoted as saying he heard a cracking noise.

"I looked out through the window and saw this pillar completely broken and then I saw one of the guards running away. We called for him to save us but he didn't come," Joao Salgueiro told state radio RNA.

"Some time later we saw the building collapsing upon us."




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