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A search operation on a building that collapsed during last month’s explosion in Beirut was called off on Sunday after rescuers found no more survivors.
The operation in the historic Mar Mikhail district has captivated Lebanon since Thursday, when hope arose that a survivor would be found under the rubble after the Aug. 4 explosion that killed 191 people and injured nearly 6,500. Seven people are still missing.
The devastating explosion of almost 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate in the port of Beirut caused extensive damage in several neighborhoods. The Lebanese capital has still not recovered, with a quarter of a million people left homeless.
The latest rescue operation began on Thursday when a Chilean sniffer dog alerted during a tour of the streets of the area the detection of a possible human pulse under the rubble of a building that collapsed. Rescuers used cranes, shovels and their hands during the meticulous search after a device detected a signal.
Flash, the 5-year-old black and white dog, inspected the building several times a day as workers removed debris. Photographs of Flash, wearing red shoes to protect his legs, circulated on social media and the dog became a hero to many Lebanese.
Chilean team leader Francisco Lermanda told reporters at the scene on Saturday that no bodies had been found in the rubble. He added that the pulse signals heard were possibly from a lifeguard.
In recent days, the Chilean team has urged people on the streets, including journalists, to turn off their cell phones and remain silent for several minutes at a time to avoid interference with their devices.
Lermanda said they would search a sidewalk after which they would declare the operation complete. It was unclear if she would continue with the body search.
Two days after the blast, a French rescue team and Lebanese public security volunteers combed the same building, which had a bar on the ground floor. At the time, they found no reason to think that someone was on the site.
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