Austrian rescuers returned from the devastating Algerian earthquake that killed about 2 200 people said the rescue operation was rife with chaos and disorganisation.
”We’ve never experienced such chaotic conditions”, said team leader Wolfgang Zoerner of the International Rescue Dogs Organisation on his return to Vienna.
He and his 12-member team with 10 dogs had been confronted with ”organisational madness”.
”We were one of the first teams at the scene, but were only allowed to the area of operations after 14 hours”, he said in the newspaper Kurier.
He believed this was due to the unstable political situation. The authorities had avoided sending foreign rescue teams to remote areas, possibly in fear of attacks or kidnappings. There had been a flood of international helpers. The Algerians had ”failed to stop aid teams from all over the world in time,” he said.
His own team had ended up with no work, and had taken an earlier flight home. During their mission they had found 14 people under the rubble, but all of them were dead.
Another Austrian team with special earthquake dogs, sent by the Vienna interior ministry, played a part in rescuing one person alive.
Together with a Polish team, they found a 12-year-old girl.
Austrian team leader, police Major Harald Wieshofer, said: ”We searched together, then the Poles managed to recover the girl alive. Beforehand, her father had given us some of her clothing so that the dogs would take up the scent of the child.”
Wieshofer also said the situation at the scene was disastrous.
”Many people are living in tents or sleeping in settlements on blankets under trees.” Food and water were distributed at crossroads. ”The people are more or less living on bread and water.”
Latest figures on Monday said nearly 2 200 people died and 9 000 were injured in the quake with its epicentre 70 kilometres east of Algiers. The death toll is expected to rise further. – Sapa-DPA