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WORLD NEWS Saturday 30 September 2017

Mexico official: Warnings over school ignored before quake

dren. Photos over the years filed a criminal complaint and quake-resistant. The
suggested an increasingly against the former judicial other, a six story rental
heavy fourth story had director, a person who held apartment building, was
been gradually added to the same post later and apparently built in the last
the wing. “whoever else may be re- year atop the unreinforced
Borough president Claudia sponsible.” structure of a decades-old
Sheinbaum said late Thurs- Sheinbaum, who took of- four-story building.
day that inspectors issued fice in 2015, had said earlier The vast majority of the
a report in November 2013 there was unauthorized ex- collapses and deaths oc-
and warned the borough’s pansion work at the school curred in buildings con-
judicial director at the since around 2010. structed under looser
time that work on the third Another borough closer to regulations prior to a 1985
floor and illegally added the city center also filed quake that killed thousands
fourth floor were “damag- criminal complaints against in Mexico City.
ing structural elements that two developers for two However the three build-
Investigative police officers inspect a part of the Enrique affect the stability of the buildings that partially or ings cited in the criminal
Rebsamen school that collapsed during last week’s 7.1 building.” completely collapsed, kill- complaints involved more
magnitude quake in Mexico City, Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2017. The privately operated ele- ing at least three people. recent construction. The
(AP Photo/Moises Castillo) mentary and middle school The borough of Benito school was started in 1983
By MARK STEVENSON Meanwhile the death toll was apparently allowed Juarez accused the two but then expanded in the
Associated Press from the magnitude 7.1 to complete the work by firms of having “used low- last decade.
MEXICO CITY (AP) — A quake which hit Sept. 19 paying a fine equivalent to quality materials, lying and Most of the rubble has
Mexico City borough presi- jumped by 10 to 355 on Fri- about $1,600 at the time. evading the law.” been cleared away from
dent said officials from a day, as the search contin- “The file was closed, with a One of the buildings was the 38 sites where buildings
previous administration ig- ued for bodies in the debris fine of 21,000 pesos. Outra- only about a year old and collapsed in the capital,
nored warnings that unau- of some downed buildings. geous,” Sheinbaum said. advertised its apartments leaving only a few active
thorized construction work The school became a sym- She added that she has as being structurally sound recovery efforts.q
on a school that collapsed bol of the tragedy when
during a powerful earth- a three-story wing of the
quake had hurt the build- building pancaked, killing
ing’s structural integrity. 26 people including 19 chil-

Philippines slams 39 countries

calling for end to drug killings

By JIM GOMEZ The government, through
Associated Press its diplomatic mission to the
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — United Nations in Geneva,
The Philippine government said it takes “grave excep-
has denounced 39 mostly tion to the sweeping and
Western nations, including politicized statement” de-
the United States, Britain livered by Iceland on be-
and France, which have half of 38 other countries
urged it to end thousands during a meeting of the
of killings under President Human Rights Council in
Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drug Geneva this week, the de-
crackdown and allow in- partment said.
vestigations in cooperation In their statement, the
with the international com- countries said they “remain
munity. concerned about the thou-
The Department of Foreign sands of killings and climate
Affairs said Friday that its of impunity associated with
diplomats told the coun- the war on drugs,” and cit-
tries, which issued a joint ed Philippine commitments
statement in Geneva ex- to investigate these crimes
pressing serious concern and observe due process.
over human rights condi- The countries encouraged
tions in the Philippines, “to the Philippines to request
respect Manila’s domestic technical assistance if
processes.” necessary.q