We begin in earthquake ravaged Haiti As each hour passes, the chances for survival diminish for those still trapped beneath the debris. International rescue teams are making all-out efforts to save as many lives as they can.

 

An American women was pulled alive on Thursday from what was left of the Montana Hotel in Port-au-Prince by French firefighters.

She has been under the rubble for over 50 hours but her condition is good.

Carla Shawn, Rescue Women, said, "Very very bad. It just, it didn't take even a second for it to collapse so there was no warning. Everything collapsed. Thank you, thank you. We were not going to survive. Somebody came on Tuesday and then left so we went around I was looking for a way out."

The women was among more than a dozen of people rescued from the ruins of the hotel.

For survivors, the memory of the disaster may stay with them for the rest of their lives.

Jean-Charles Domine, Hotel Guest, said, "Very strong shaking lasting 35 seconds. And then, the hotel collapsed, I was in a part that didn't collapse immediately, I was on the ground level so I was able to get out."

It's thought around two-hundred people are still missing under the wreckage of the hotel.

Several rescue teams are still searching the site.

There was at least one other encouraging tale late on Thursday as Spanish and Belgian rescuers managed to pull a two-year-old boy from a collapsed home.

But the boy's rescue provided only a small glimmer of hope because an unknown number of people remain trapped under the debris, and their time is running short.