Jerusalem - An 11-year-old Turkish girl buried alive beneath the rubble was rescued yesterday by Israeli soldiers. They dug for 17 hours to reach the girl, who was trapped under a collapsed building in the town of Cinarcik, near the city of Yalova in western Turkey.

The girl, who was not named, was receiving medical treatment. Her condition was unclear. "It's surprising that she managed to survive," said one member of the Israeli team, a doctor. He said that only the girl's left cheek and mouth had been visible when searchers first heard her voice.