Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Haiti Quake Rescuers Pull Man From Rubble after 11 Days
A Haitian man has been pulled alive from the rubble of a ruined hotel after 11 days, as the official search for quake survivors was declared over.
The 23-year-old man was carried on a stretcher from the Napoli Inn Hotel in the capital, Port-au-Prince.
Haitians and rescuers cheered as the man, seen to be smiling, was taken towards a waiting ambulance, the BBC's Adam Mynott reports from the scene.
Earlier, Haiti's government said search-and-rescue operations had ended.
UN spokeswoman Elizabeth Byrs in Geneva said the decision was "heartbreaking" but that it had been taken on the advice of experts.
She said most search-and-rescue teams would now be leaving Haiti, although some with heavy lifting equipment might stay to help with the clean-up operation and with aid distribution.
Rescuers said the man found on Saturday appeared to be in good condition, but thirsty.
The BBC's Adam Mynott says the operation to extricate him lasted about two-and-a-half hours.
The man, whose first name is Richmond, smiled as he was pulled free but did not speak, our correspondent says.
A French rescue worker, Lt Col Arnaud, described the man's survival as "a miracle".
He said rescuers - who had been alerted by the man's relatives - had managed to get water to him while they worked to dig him out.
He said the man must have had access to some water in the past 11 days and had probably been helped by the fact that the 5-6m (16-20ft) of debris above him was largely wood, rather than concrete.
Lt Col Arnaud said the man had told his rescuers another four people were trapped with him but that they had stopped moving a couple of days ago.
Rescuers are now searching for any other signs of life.
Two people, an 84-year-old woman and a 21-year-old man, were pulled alive from the rubble in Port-au-Prince on Friday.
The woman, who was found in the wreckage of her home seriously injured and severely dehydrated, was taken to the main city hospital for treatment.
The 21-year-old man, Emmannuel Buso, was rescued by an Israeli search team and is said to be in a stable condition.
Speaking from his hospital bed, he described how he had had no food, and had drunk his own urine to keep thirst at bay.
Sources: MSNBC, BBC News, The Daily Beast, News of the World
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment