Beirut blast: signs of life found under rubble a month after deadly Lebanon explosion, says rescuer
- Movement detected beneath destroyed building in one of worst-hit areas
- Rescue operation paused after several hours of digging because structure was deemed unsafe
Rescuers in Lebanon detected signs of life on Thursday in the rubble of a building in a residential area of Beirut that collapsed after a huge August 4 explosion at a nearby port, rescuers said.
The state news agency NNA reported in the early evening that a team with a rescue dog had detected movement under a destroyed building in the Gemmayze area, one of the worst hit by the blast that killed about 190 people and injured 6,000 others.
“These [signs of breathing and pulse] along with the temperature sensor means there is a possibility of life,” rescuer Eddy Bitar told reporters at the scene.
After several hours of digging through rubble, however, the operation was halted because the building was deemed too unsafe. Heavier machinery was required to help lift the rubble safely, a rescuer said, and it could not be brought until morning.
“There’s a lot of danger to the team,” Michel el-Mur told reporters. “There are 10 of them up there, and we can’t take a risk on a single one of them.”