With only 1% of hope, the Chilean rescue team, Topos Chile, spent the whole day working on removing the remains and rubble of a collapsed building in Gemmayze.
However, after all those hours of hard work, the Lebanese Army has just forced the team to halt the rescue because the building is at risk of complete collapse.
The army and the government have reportedly threatened Topos Chile with imprisonment if they continued excavating, despite the fact that the team is specialized in working in difficult conditions.
Locals on the scene are furious that the army is forcing the rescue to end. The idea that this survivor has been under the rubble for the last 30 days is heart-shattering and people cannot bear it going on for another night.
On Thursday, September 3rd, the Topos Chile sent out its dog to sniff around under the rubble of the collapsed building in Mar Mikhael, Gemmayze. According to the residents gathered on the street, they have been hearing some faint sounds from the rubbles for two weeks now…
The trained rescue dog was able to detect two bodies; and one of them appears to be alive.
The rescue team returned to the site with their special equipment to confirm the discovery. Using a one-of-a-kind scanner, the team declared the victim to be alive with their heart slowly pounding, 18 beats per minute.
The Chilean team has been working with the Lebanese civil defense since about 10 AM, and coordinating with the Live Love Lebanon group, who were providing food and assisting the heroic team.
Surely, the victim wouldn’t have been found there without the expertise of Topos Chile and their special life locator scanner.
People across the country are hoping for a miracle at this point. All eyes of the Lebanese and the world, and their praying hearts, are on that spot in Beirut at the moment as many are broadcasting Live from the scene, including Reuters.