Wednesday, February 23, 2011

New Zealand earthquake: Rescuers refuse to give up hope


New Zealand rescuers say they are continuing to search for survivors in the aftermath of Tuesday's powerful earthquake in Christchurch.

Superintendent Dave Cliff said it remained a rescue operation, and that specialists were working at a number of sites where there were signs of life.

At least 76 people have been killed, but 238 others are missing - up to 120 of them under one collapsed building.

Prime Minister John Key has said people should prepare for more bad news.

Officials say there might be fatalities from a number of countries.
'Unsurvivable'

The earthquake struck at a shallow depth of 5km (3.1 miles) early in the afternoon on Tuesday, when the South Island city was at its busiest.

It was Christchurch's second major tremor in five months, and New Zealand's deadliest natural disaster for 80 years.

Hundreds of foreign specialist rescuers arrived in the city on Thursday to help local police and soldiers searching through the dangerously unstable ruins for any survivors.

The BBC's Phil Mercer in Christchurch says there is an unshakeable determination among everyone there to keep looking.

But it is a meticulous and painstakingly slow operation, as rescue workers use sniffer dogs, sound detectors, thermal imaging equipment and cameras to detect any signs of lif.,

Read More

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12563177

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