President Mahama accepts Israeli offer to rescue people trapped under collapsed building

Thursday 8th November, 2012

Accra, Nov. 8, GNA - President John Dramani Mahama has accepted an offer from Israel to help locate and extract any remaining survivors in the collapsed Melcom shopping mall disaster that took place on Wednesday.    

A statement on Thursday signed by Mr John Jinapor, Presidential Spokesperson, said an 18-man team from Israel would arrive in Accra during the day.    

The statement said the Israeli team would be working in close collaboration with the detachment from the Field Engineer Regiment of the Ghana Army currently at the site.    

"The hard work of the Field Engineer Regiment, NADMO (National Disaster  Management Organisation) and other emergency institutions including the Ghana Police and the National Ambulance Service has led to the rescue of at least 51 persons from the rubble."     

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

An additional team of about 150 with additional equipment including field hospitals, concrete cutters among others are on standby to move to Ghana should the initial assessment deem it necessary.     

President Mahama on Wednesday suspended his campaign in the Upper East Region and flew to Accra following news of the collapsed building.     

He has since visited the site and some hospitals where the rescued workers and shoppers are recuperating.

GNA