A day that was dominated by despair with the recovery of six bodies from the debris of a building collapse ended on a high note when rescuers early Thursday morning located a survivor in the rubble.
After 13 hours of digging through the rubble of the collapse site in Center City Philadelphia, a firefighter reached down to grab Myra Plekam's hand.
"I think they were digging and they felt her and she was able to respond and squeeze their hand," said Michael Resnick, the city's public safety director. "It feels outstanding to be able to pull somebody alive out of the rubble," Resnick said. "She was talking to the firefighters as they were recovering her."
Plekam was rushed to the hospital at the University of Pennsylvania, in critical condition, following the collapse of a 4-story building under demolition into a Salvation Army thrift store at 22nd and Market street. She was the last person crews were actively searching for after the building collapsed around 10:45 Wednesday morning with workers and customers inside the thrift store.
In all, 14 people were rescued, most by two roofers who were working nearby and rushed to the scene. Emergency crews followed about five minutes after the collapse.
At a mid-morning news conference on Thursday, Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers said that the search effort will continue through at least the afternoon, with the same hope that rescuers had when they found Plekam.
"As you know, last night we stayed the course and our members did pull one female live. That's why we stayed the course and that's what this rescue is all about. With all the despair, that person being pulled out is what this rescue and every resuce is all about," Ayers said.
One section of the site is being searched today, which accounts for about 20 percent of the area, according to Ayers. One wall still standing is being knocked down and a large crane is being brought in as well.
"There is a small area left inside the store that is still standing and it will be searched as well," Ayers said.
While authorities have no indication that other people may be trapped, Ayers said, "We will keep that spirit (of finding survivors) alive as we move through this afternoon's rescue."
Mayor Michael Nutter said the city knows the identities of the six people who died in the collapse, but they are withholding those names until the end of the day so that families of the victims have time to notify other family members.
Mayor Nutter would not answer specific questions on the day of the collapse about whether the demolition site was properly inspected. However, he revealed Thursday that one pre-demolition inspection was required and that inspection was completed. No subsequent inspections took place. Licenses and Inspections Deputy Commissioner Carlton Williams said that the work at the site had not progressed to the point that a further inspection was required.
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