Beirut explosion: hopes fade in search of a survivor

Hopes are dashed in Beirut that someone will be found under the rubble of a building destroyed in last month’s explosion, after two days of search efforts.

Rescuers began looking through the debris after the sensor equipment detected possible signs of life.

But Chilean rescuers ended a second day of searching to no avail.

Beirut observed a minute of silence on Friday to mark one month since the explosion, which killed nearly 200 people.

Thousands more were injured in the blast, which occurred when 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate detonated.

There has been outrage that so much hazardous material has been stored insecurely in a warehouse in the city’s port, near many residential areas.

The resignation of the Lebanese government shortly after failed to pacify the protesters, who clashed with the police in the city for several nights.

A month later, seven people are still missing, according to Lebanese officials.

Search efforts began after a Chilean rescue team said it had detected possible signs of life under a destroyed building in the Gemmayze area of ​​Beirut.

Rescuers were walking through the area Wednesday night when their sniffer dog, trained to find bodies, gave a signal that a person was inside. When they returned Thursday, the dog headed to the same spot and gave the same signal. The specialized sensor team then detected a pulsating signal in the area.

According to a local source, the team’s highly sensitive equipment can detect respiration at a depth of 15 m (49 ft).

Rescue teams cleared debris from the site, as crowds of people watched, hoping for a miracle.

The head of the Chilean rescue team, Francisco Lermanda, said rescuers dug three tunnels to try to reach the site where pulse signals were detected.

But the team stopped their search Friday night with no sign of a survivor or body. They said they would return in the morning.

A Lebanese team was continuing the search, according to local reporters.