Melcom disaster: Isreali rescuers arrive

Melcom disaster: Isreali rescuers arrive

The Isreali rescue team arrived Thursday afternoon.

Eight members of the 18-man team from Israel to help rescue any remaining survivors in the collapsed Melcom shopping mall disaster have arrived.

An unknown number of people got trapped when the five-story building collapsed at Achimota on Wednesday. Over 70 people have so far been pulled out of the rubble while nine are confirmed dead.

Joy News’ Elton John Brobbey, who is at the scene, reported that the foreign rescuers arrived with sniffer dogs.

President John Mahama announced upon his visit to the scene Wednesday that external help has been sought to boost rescue efforts.

A statement signed by the President’s Spokesperson, John Abdulai Jinapor, said an 18-man Israeli team will come and work in close collaboration with the detachment from the Field Engineers Regiment of the Ghana Army currently at the site.

Mr. Jinapor said the team will make an initial assessment of the site using special equipment and sniffer dogs that will help identify the locations of possible survivors or corpses.

He indicated that an additional team of about one hundred and fifty (150) with additional equipment including field hospitals, concrete cutters among others will move to Ghana should the initial assessment deems it necessary.

Joy News’ Adelaide Arthur, who was at the scene when the foreign rescuers arrived, said she saw the sniffer dogs from Isreal chasing away onlookers instead of locating the victims.

She added that a woman who’s daughter had not been found by Thursday afternoon collapsed at the scene.

Melcom disaster: Isreali rescuers arrive

President Mahama went to the scene again on Thursday shortly after the arrival of the Isrealis and addressed the media.

He commended the local rescuers for a good job done so far and vowed that city authorities are going “to be held accountable” for the disaster.

National Coordinator of NADMO, Kofi Kportophy said government will provide assistance in the burial of departed victims.