Tirana - Albanian rescuers pulled two bodies from the rubble of a collapsed building and were searching for another victim Monday, as police held nine people in connection with the accident.

A 12-year old girl was still missing a full day after the five- storey building collapsed in Gjirokaster in southern Albania.

The girl's mother was one of the confirmed victims and a woman in her 60s the other one, while 20 escaped with injuries.

Police were holding nine people with possible links to the accident, including municipal officials in charge of issuing construction permits or inspections and employees of the company that constructed the house. (dpa)