Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Friday 22 September 2017

Despair rises for relatives of the missing in Mexico quake

By MARIA VERZA could risk bringing build-
PETER ORSI ings down on anyone still
Associated Press alive inside, Fernandez
MEXICO CITY (AP) — As said: “That seems unjust to
painstaking attempts to us because there are still
reach survivors in quake- people alive inside and
ravaged buildings across that’s not OK.”
Mexico City stretched into “I think they should wait
a third day Thursday, des- until they take the last one
peration mounted among out,” she said.
loved ones who earlier Seeking to dispel the ru-
had high hopes for quick mors, National Civil Protec-
rescues and some com- tion chief Luis Felipe Pu-
plained they were being ente tweeted that heavy
kept in the dark about machinery “is NOT being
search efforts. used” in search-and-res-
And what many had clung cue efforts.
to as the unlikely triumph “The (hashtag)Search and
of life over death was re- Rescue is not being sus-
vealed to be a case of pended anywhere it is be-
some very high-profile mis- lieved that trapped peo-
information: A top navy ple exist,” Puente said in a
official announced there Rescue personnel work on a collapsed building, a day after a devastating 7.1 earthquake, in the separate tweet.
were no missing children Del Valle neighborhood of Mexico City, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2107. Efforts continue at the scenes Since early Wednesday,
at a collapsed Mexico City of dozens of collapsed buildings, where firefighters, police, soldiers and civilians continue their the eyes of the nation had
school where the purport- search to reach the living. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo) been focused on the En-
ed plight of a girl trapped rique Rebsamen school
alive in the rubble had people rescued in Mexico list of those who were in the cials said about 14 people in southern Mexico City,
captivated people across City alone, including two building when the quake were believed to be alive where rescuers told report-
the nation and abroad. women and a man pulled struck — more than two inside. Three people have ers a girl, identified only as
President Enrique Pena alive from the wreckage of dozen names — kept in a been rescued from the Frida Sofia, had signaled
Nieto’s office raised the a building in the city’s cen- spiral notebook. building since the quake. she was alive deep in the
death toll from Tuesday’s ter Wednesday night. Maria del Carmen Fernan- “They should keep us in- rubble by wiggling her fin-
magnitude 7.1 earthquake Still, frustration was grow- dez’s 27-year-old neph- formed,” Fernandez said as gers in response to rescu-
to 273, including 137 in the ing as the rescue effort ew, Ivan Colin Fernandez, her sister, the man’s moth- ers’ shouts.
capital. In a statement, stretched into Day 3. worked as an accountant er, wept into her black Numerous rescuers at the
it said there were also 73 Outside a collapsed of- in the seven-story building, fleece sweater. “Because I school site spoke of the
deaths in Morelos state, 43 fice building in the trendy which pancaked to the think what kills us most is the girl, with some saying she
in Puebla, 13 in the State of Roma Norte district, a list of ground taking part of the desperation of not knowing had reported several other
Mexico, six in Guerrero and those rescued was strung building next door with it. anything.” children alive in the same
one in Oaxaca. between two trees. Rela- She said the last time the Referring to rumors that space, and the child be-
More than 2,000 were in- tives of the missing com- family got an update was authorities intend to bring came a symbol of hope
jured and more than 50 pared it against their own late yesterday, when offi- in heavy machinery that amid a disaster that has
Protesting Venezuelan violinist may seek asylum in US shocked the country. But
with TV cameras and jour-
nalists kept a block away
By CLAUDIA TORRENS earlier this year, he and his cause of death threats he*s colors of the Venezuelan from the precarious site,
Associated Press violin were dragged to the received on social media flag, Arteaga performed the only images broad-
NEW YORK (AP) — A violin- ground and he was later and by phone following his somber renditions of the cast live around-the-clock
ist who became the young thrown in jail, where he said outspoken criticism of Presi- classic folk standards that of the purported rescue
face of anti-government he was beaten. dent Nicolas Maduro. became anthems of the showed long-distance
protests in Venezuela may Now free, he performed “I’ll probably seek asylum four-month protest move- shots of rescuers digging
soon seek political asylum Tuesday at Lincoln Center but it’s not a decision I’ve ment. Projected on a and no images of a child.
in the United States. in New York at an event to made yet,” Arteaga told screen behind him were As the rescue effort con-
Wuilly Arteaga became draw attention to human The Associated Press at scenes from the protests tinued into Thursday, no
well-known after playing rights abuses in Venezuela. the concert. “I’m nervous in which more than 120 family members came
somber renditions of Ven- The 23-year-old said his pri- and worried. I don’t know people died and hun- forward to identify the girl,
ezuela’s national anthem ority is to find work in the U.S. what’s going to happen dreds more were injured or and some officials had be-
while standing amid clouds rather than request asylum. with my life.” jailed. Some of the images gun to say the identity of
of tear gas. During one But he said he doesn’t feel Dressed in a T-shirt and hat showed Arteaga, his face the person trapped in the
clash with security forces safe returning home be- in the red, yellow and blue bloodied.q rubble was not clear.q