09 January 2004	Friday	16 Ziqa'ad 1424

BAM, Jan 8: A 56-year-old man has been pulled alive from the rubble of the Bam earthquake in Iran, 13 days after the tragedy, medics said on Thursday.

The man, identified as Jalil, was in coma at a Ukranian field hospital, an Iranian doctor said. "We are not sure he will be saved. One whole part of his body is cold," the doctor said.

An AFP correspondent saw Jalil breathing with the aid of a respirator. An Iranian search and rescue team found him alive Wednesday night. He apparently survived due to the fact he was under a piece of furniture, which formed an air pocket allowing him to breathe.

Iranian state media has reported a number of "miracle" survivors after rescuers had all but abandoned hope of finding more people alive, including a 97-year-old woman.

The massive earthquake before dawn on December 26 virtually levelled the southeastern town of Bam, killing some 30,000 people, injuring about 30,000 more and leaving an estimated 75,000 people homeless.

In addition to the fact that most people would have been asleep at the time, officials also attributed the high number of deaths to the mud-brick construction of so many buildings. The bricks tended to disintegrate, allowing less chance of air pockets forming.-AFP