Beirut blast rescuers detect a ‘heartbeat’ in rubble a month after blast



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Rescuers in Beirut said they detected a possible heartbeat under the rubble of a building destroyed by the explosion on August 4.

A sniffer dog reportedly alerted rescuers to the presence of a possible survivor, prompting a major search.

If someone was found alive, it would mean that the person has been trapped under the rubble for 29 days.

Specialized sensor equipment has been brought into the Mar Mikhael area following unconfirmed reports that a heartbeat was detected.

“These (breathing and pulse signs) along with the temperature sensor mean there is a possibility of life,” rescuer Eddy Bitar told reporters at the scene.


He added that a civil defense unit had been called in to help with additional equipment to conduct the search.

Rescue workers in bright jackets climbed over the building that had collapsed in the blast.

Crowds gathered around the building as the search and rescue team dug through the rubble to locate the source of the heartbeat.



Local media said that any search and rescue effort, if it became clear that someone was still alive, would likely take hours.

The Chilean rescue team that participated in the search arrived in Lebanon three days ago to help sort the remains.

The same team reportedly rescued a man in Haiti 27 days after he was trapped in an earthquake, according to the Daily Star.

BBC journalist Claire Read tweeted: “Whispers of ‘Is it true? Could anyone be alive? Tomorrow a month since the Beirut explosion. The crowd is buzzing and rescuers are shushing us as they listen and search. “


Photos from the scene show members of the military standing with workers in high-visibility jackets as they inspect the wreckage.

Members of the public, most in face masks, can be seen filming on their phones.

According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, at least 190 people were killed and more than 6,000 injured in the Beirut explosion that devastated the port area a month ago.


More than 300,000 people now face homelessness after the disaster.

Less than a week after the explosion, the Lebanese government resigned.

Prime Minister Hassan Diab addressed the nation and announced his resignation and that of his government in the wake of the explosion, which he described as a “disaster beyond measure.”


He criticized Lebanon’s ruling political elite for fostering what he called “a corruption apparatus larger than the state.”

“We have fought with courage and dignity,” he said, referring to members of his cabinet.

“Between us and change there is a great and powerful barrier.”

Diab compared Tuesday’s explosion to a “country-shaking earthquake” that prompted his government to resign.

“We have decided to support the people,” he said.

Three cabinet ministers had already resigned, along with seven members of parliament.

Following the explosion, protests broke out in the city calling on the government to resign.



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