After two days of searching, rescue workers have not found any further sign of life beneath the rubble of a building destroyed in last month's explosion.
Lebanese and Chilean rescue workers watch as a crane lifts pieces of cement from a badly damaged building in Beirut, after signs of possible life were detected. Photo: AFP
Rescue workers began looking through the debris after sensor equipment detected possible signs of life.
But Chilean rescuers ended a second day of searching without any results.
Beirut held a minute's silence earlier today to mark a month since the explosion, which killed almost 200 people.
Thousands more were injured by the blast, which happened when 2750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate being stored at the port detonated.
Rescue workers prepare to use a tube to vacuum debris from a badly damaged building in Lebanon's capital Beirut, in search of possible survivors. Photo: AFP
There has been outrage that so much hazardous material was stored unsafely in a warehouse in the city's port, close to many residential areas.
The Lebanese government's resignation shortly afterwards failed to pacify protesters, who clashed with police in the city for several nights.
One month on, seve \n people are still missing, according to Lebanese officials.
Sniffer dog reacts
Search efforts got under way after a rescue team from Chile said it had detected possible signs of life under a destroyed building in Beirut's Gemmayze area.
The rescuers were walking through the area on Thursday when their sniffer dog - trained to find bodies - gave a sign that there was a person inside.
When they returned, the dog went to the same place and gave the same sign. Specialist sensor equipment then detected a pulsing signal in the area.
According to a local source, the team's highly sensitive equipment can detect breathing at a depth of 15 metres.
Rescue workers cleared rubble from the site, as crowds of people watched, hoping for a miracle.
Photo: AFP
The head of the Chilean rescue team, Francisco Lermanda, said rescuers dug three tunnels to try to reach the site where pulse signals were detected.
But the team halted their search last night with no sign of any survivor, or any body. They said they would return in the morning.
A Lebanese team was carrying on with the search, according to local reporters.
- BBC
