May 10, 2013

Seventeen days after a Bangladesh garment factory collapsed, rescuers found a woman alive and pulled her from the rubble. The woman, who has been identified by local media as only Reshma, was reportedly found after a workman heard her faint cries of “Save me, save me” from beneath the debris.

As rescuers continue to clean up the rubble, the death toll from the building collapse has climbed above 1,000. Many relatives of garment workers remain at the site, carrying photos of family members they hope to locate.

: Rescue workers rescue a woman from the rubble of the collapsed Rana Plaza building, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on May 10, 2013. The woman, identified by local media only as Reshma, was rescued on Friday after spending 17 days trapped under the rubble of a Bangladesh factory building that collapsed on April 24, killing more than 1,000 people, police and military officials said. (Sanaul Huq/Reuters)

: Rescue workers rescue a woman from the rubble of the collapsed Rana Plaza building, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on May 10, 2013. The woman, identified by local media only as Reshma, was rescued on Friday after spending 17 days trapped under the rubble of a Bangladesh factory building that collapsed on April 24, killing more than 1,000 people, police and military officials said. (Sohel Ahmed/Reuters)

: Rescue workers carry a woman from the rubble of the collapsed Rana Plaza building, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on May 10, 2013. The woman, identified by local media only as Reshma, was rescued on Friday after spending 17 days trapped under the rubble of a Bangladesh factory building that collapsed on April 24, killing more than 1,000 people, police and military officials said. (Sanaul Huq/Reuters)

: Bangladeshi rescuers retrieve garment worker Reshma from the rubble of a collapsed building in Savar on May 10, 2013, 17 days after the eight-story building collapsed. The death toll from last month’s collapse of a garment factory complex in Bangladesh rose past 1,000 as piles of bodies were found in the ruins of a stairwell where victims had sought shelter. (STR/AFP/Getty Images)

: Bangladeshi rescuers retrieve garment worker Reshma from the rubble of a collapsed building in Savar on May 10, 2013, 17 days after the eight-story building collapsed. The death toll from last month’s collapse of a garment factory complex in Bangladesh rose past 1,000 as piles of bodies were found in the ruins of a stairwell where victims had sought shelter. (STR/AFP/Getty Images)

: Bangladeshi Army personnel stand guard as they continue the second phase of the rescue operation using heavy equipment after an eight-story building collapsed on the outskirts of Dhaka. The death toll from last month’s collapse of a garment factory complex in Bangladesh rose past 1,000 as piles of bodies were found in the ruins of a stairwell where victims had sought shelter. (Munir uz Zaman/AFP/Getty Images)

: Bangladeshi rescue personnel carry stretchers with the remains of garment workers from the site of a collapsed building as heavy machinery clears the debris on the outskirts of Dhaka, on May 7, 2013. (Munir uz Zaman/AFP/Getty Images)

: Relatives gather as rescue workers unload dead bodies after a building collapse in Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka, on May 10, 2013. The death toll from last month’s collapse of a garment factory complex in Bangladesh rose past 1,000 Friday as piles of bodies were found in the ruins of a stairwell where victims had sought shelter. (Munir uz Zaman/AFP/Getty Images)

: Relatives attempt to identify the bodies of loved ones killed in last week’s building collapse in Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka, on May 10, 2013. The death toll from last month’s collapse of a garment factory complex in Bangladesh rose past 1,000 as piles of bodies were found in the ruins of a stairwell where victims had sought shelter. (Munir uz Zaman/AFP/Getty Images)

: A relative reacts after identifying the body of a loved one killed in last week’s building collapse in Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka on May 10, 2013. The death toll from last month’s collapse of a garment factory complex in Bangladesh rose past 1,000 as piles of bodies were found in the ruins of a stairwell where victims had sought shelter. (Munir uz Zaman/AFP/Getty Images)

: A relative reacts after identifying the body of a loved one killed in last week’s building collapse in Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka on May 10, 2013. The death toll from last month’s collapse of a garment factory complex in Bangladesh rose past 1,000 as piles of bodies were found in the ruins of a stairwell where victims had sought shelter. (Munir uz Zaman/AFP/Getty Images)A relative reacts after identifying the body of a loved one killed in last week’s building collapse in Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka on May 10, 2013. The death toll from last month’s collapse of a garment factory complex in Bangladesh rose past 1,000 as piles of bodies were found in the ruins of a stairwell where victims had sought shelter. (Munir uz Zaman/AFP/Getty Images)

: A young Bangladeshi garment worker who was rescued from a building that collapsed lies on a hospital bed with an amputated arm, in Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka, on May 10, 2013. The death toll from last month’s collapse of a garment factory complex in Bangladesh rose past 1,000 as piles of bodies were found in the ruins of a stairwell where victims had sought shelter. (Munir uz Zaman/AFP/Getty Images)

: Bangladeshi rescue personnel carry stretchers with the remains of garment workers from the site of a collapsed building in Savar on the outskirts of Dhaka, on May 9, 2013. (STR/AFP/Getty Images)

: Bangladeshi garment workers, employed in the building which collapsed a fortnight ago, wait in line to claim their salaries in Savar on the outskirts of Dhaka, on May 8, 2013. The typical Bangladeshi garment worker takes home less than 40 dollars a month, a wage that Pope Francis has condemned as akin to slave labor. (Munir uz Zaman/AFP/Getty Images)

: Bangladeshi garment workers, employed in the building which collapsed a fortnight ago, wait in line to claim their salaries in Savar on the outskirts of Dhaka, on May 8, 2013. The typical Bangladeshi garment worker takes home less than 40 dollars a month, a wage that Pope Francis has condemned as akin to slave labor. (Munir uz Zaman/AFP/Getty Images)

: A Bangladeshi garment worker, employed in the building which collapsed two weeks ago, killing hundreds, claims her salary in Savar on the outskirts of Dhaka, on May 8, 2013. The typical Bangladeshi garment worker takes home less than 40 dollars a month, a wage that Pope Francis has condemned as akin to slave labor. (Munir uz Zaman/AFP/Getty Images)

: A Bangladeshi family member holds up the portrait of her missing relative, believed to be trapped in the rubble of the garment factory building that collapsed in Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka. (STR/AFP/Getty Images)

: Excavators clear debris as rescue and army personnel continue recovery operations at the site of the eight-story building collapse in Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka, on May 4, 2013. (Munir uz Zaman/AFP/Getty Images)

: A Bangladeshi woman sleeps as she holds the portrait of her missing relative, believed to be trapped in the rubble of an eight-story building collapse in Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka, on May 4, 2013. (Munir uz Zaman/AFP/Getty Images)

: Relatives react after identifying the body of a loved one killed in last week’s building collapse in Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka, on May 3, 2013. (Munir uz Zaman/AFP/Getty Images)

: Bangladeshi rescue personnel carry stretchers with the remains of garment workers from the site of a collapsed building as heavy machinery clear the debris in Savar on the outskirts of Dhaka, on May 7, 2013. (Munir uz Zaman/AFP/Getty Images)

Woman pulled alive from rubble of Bangladesh factory
Rafiqur Rahman, Reuters
8:23 a.m. EDT, May 10, 2013

SAVAR, Bangladesh (Reuters) – Rescuers pulled a woman on Friday from the rubble of a Bangladesh garment factory 17 days after it collapsed, astonishing workmen who had been searching for bodies of victims of a disaster that has killed more than 1,000 people.

Hundreds of onlookers burst into cheers as army engineers pulled the woman from the basement of the building after a workman helping to clear the wreckage reported hearing her faint cries of “Save me, save me” from beneath the ruins.

Pale, drawn and seemingly unable to walk, the woman, identified by Bangladeshi media only as Reshma, was hoisted out of the rubble on a stretcher, then loaded into an ambulance in scenes broadcast live on television.

Bangladesh woman rescued after 17 days in garment factory rubble

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