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Beirut – Chilean rescuers and Lebanese civil defense volunteers resumed their precarious search for a possible survivor of the Beirut port explosion after a sign of life was detected under the rubble.
The search, supported by Chilean volunteers who are part of a non-profit Mexican rescue organization called “Los Topos,” began on Friday while residents remained silent. Journalists were asked to remain silent and turn off their phones to allow the use of scanning equipment.
Lebanese volunteers and the Chilean team, which arrived in Lebanon four days ago, were removing debris with their hands amid fears that the mechanical equipment could cause a total collapse of the building in question.
However, a crane was brought into the area overnight to remove some larger concrete blocks.
“We are hoping for a miracle,” a woman living in the Gemmayze neighborhood told dpa.
On August 4, a massive explosion ripped through the port of Beirut, killing at least 190 people and injuring 6,000 others. Seven people remain missing, according to the Health Ministry.
Lebanese broadcaster MTV said rescuers had detected a sign of life again on Friday, but that it was weaker than the day before.
A sniffer dog named Flash, brought to Beirut by Chilean rescuers, was the first to respond to an odor at the site of a collapsed building the day before. He was still on hold at the scene.
“We hope they can rescue a soul from under this rubble,” said another woman at the scene.
“The team is working slowly and they are almost 80 centimeters from the target area,” said a civil defense volunteer.
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