None Thought Alive In Manila Building

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31754, 10 August 1968, Page 13

None Thought Alive In Manila Building

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright) MANILA, August 9. Rescue work through the crumbled “Ruby Towers” apartment block entered its second week tl.iis morning, rescue workers believing all the people still inside are dead.

They hold out little hope of any more miraculous rescues like those on Wednesday of the two young Chinese girl cousins.

Suzie Wong Chan, aged nine and Shirley Chan, aged 11, were pulled nude from under the rubble on the sixth day after the building collapsed—a day after rescue organisers said it would be a miracle if anyone were found still alive.

But another two days have passed, and as one rescuer said: “Even Susie and Shirley would have surely been dead if we had not found them by now.” So far 264 bodies have been found in the wreckage. A further 260 people were rescued —but 27 have died, bringing

the death total to 291. Officials estimate 600 people were in the five-storey block when it collapsed before dawn last Friday. This leaves about 80 people unaccounted for. Doctors reported today that Susie and Shirley are both well on the way to recovery.