Labourer pulled out alive after eight days under debris in Bellary

It has been nothing short of rebirth for a 30-year-old labourer who was rescued from the debris of a under-construction building here, eight days after it collapsed.

"I am grateful to God for keeping me alive. I still can not believe I am out," said a tearful Mallaiah as he was pulled out today by the National Disaster Response Team.

The daily wager, who escaped with some minor bruises on his arms said, "I was able to survive as I had small pot of water beside me from which I kept on drinking to keep me alive."

In a strange quirk of nature, four new born puppies found cuddling together, were also rescued alive along with Mallaiah. The under-construction five-storeyed building had collapsed on an adjacent students' hostel in Gandhinagar area here on January 26.

Meanwhile, five more bodies were extricated from the debris taking the toll to 28. Twenty-six of the 28 rescued people 26 have been identified, officials said.

The 19 injured, who have been admitted to Vijayanagar Institute of Medical Sciences hospital are "recovering", they said, adding that the rescue operations would continue.