Chilean and Lebanese rescuers search in the rubble of a building that collapsed in last month's massive explosion, after getting signals there may be a survivor under the rubble, in Beirut, Lebanon, Sept. 3, 2020.
Rescue teams resumed searching Friday for a possible survivor under the rubble of a building that collapsed following a deadly blast last month at the Port of Beirut.
Search operations restarted their efforts Thursday afternoon, after a sniffer dog belonging to a Chilean search and rescue team detected a pulsing signal as the search team was going through the neighborhood of Gemmayzeh.
The search was interrupted after sunset, but a group of protesters arrived at the scene and began searching themselves, alleging that the Lebanese army had told the Chilean team to stop.
Members of Lebanon’s Civil Defense arrived an hour after midnight and resumed work, to remove debris with their hands and shovels, and digging a hole in the rubble.
An army statement issued Friday said the Chilean team interrupted the search shortly before midnight out of fear that parts of a wall could fall on the rescue workers.
Officials also say cranes were brought in to remove the wall so the search could resume.
The massive blast at the Beirut port killed scores of people, wounded thousands more and traumatized the country, which already was facing a financial crisis.
The United Nations Development Program has warned that a lot of toxic waste, potentially dangerous to health and the environment, was discharged when 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate exploded at the port.