Chilean sniffer dog detects possible survivor in Beirut rubble

Rescue workers on Friday carefully dug through the rubble of a badly damaged building in Beirut, Lebanon, in search of a possible survivor – one month after a massive explosion destroyed a large part of the city. 

Hopes were raised after a sniffer dog named Flash signaled to his search and rescue team from Chile that someone might be alive under the rubble. 

Searchers using sensors then scanned the area and confirmed the presence of a body and the possible breathing cycle and weak pulse of a person. 

“The experts accompanying us have discovered that someone is breathing slowly from under the rubble, and at a depth of 3 meters under,” the head of the Chilean rescue team said, according to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency.

NPR reported that the Chilean official, who was not identified by name, said: “This prompted us to open three tunnels at a depth of 3 meters to reach the location of this person. Work is currently underway to reach the place where the pulse was discovered, yet there is no indication as to whether this person is alive or not.”

Onlookers were asked to leave the area and others were asked to switch their cellphones off so that crews could listen for signs of life. 

According to NPR search and rescue workers planned to pause their work late Friday and resume on Saturday.

While the chance of finding someone alive is slim, searchers said it’s a chance worth pursuing. 

As well as killing more than 190 people, the August 4 explosion injured at least 6,500 and left 300,000 homeless.

Lebanon’s president, Michel Aoun, is among those watching the rescue attempt. Aoun has urged the country’s Civil Defense agency to keep up the search, his office said Friday.