Alex Thomas
Emergency personnel in Mexico worked throughout the night to free a girl trapped during the earthquake that struck the nation earlier this week.
Videos by Rare
After days of scrambling, workers believe that they’re getting closer to rescuing the 12-year-old girl who was trapped when her school collapsed. On Wednesday, the world watched images of the unnamed victim’s wriggling fingers. As workers removed buckets of debris, they passed sensors over the rubble, searching for heat signatures that might indicate victims still alive, the Associated Press reports.
RELATED: Rescuers race to find survivors in the rubble of a school collapsed by Mexico’s earthquake
As workers dig, they are forced to silence the crowd in order to hear signs of life beneath the debris.
“At this moment we know that at least one girl is alive inside,” Adm. Jose Louis Vergara told CNN. Temperature readings taken Wednesday evening also indicated that two others may still be alive beneath the rubble. The exact number of lives claimed by the quake varies, with some estimates putting the death toll over 250.
Mexico City after earthquake. pic.twitter.com/qd3VeLslAf
— Jorge Guajardo ❤️🇺🇦 (@jorge_guajardo) September 19, 2017
Scenes from the rescue effort have shaken the world and workers recount heart-wrenching anecdotes.
“There are still people groaning. There are three more floors to remove rubble from. And you still hear people in there,” rescue worker Evodio Dario Marcelino told AP.
In total, 53 people have been rescued as of Thursday morning, though at the school where the 12-year-old girl is still trapped, 21 children and five adults are confirmed dead.
[anvplayer video=”4175235″ station=”National Content Desk”]
