Mexican rescuers ‘just metres away’ from schoolgirl trapped after deadly earthquake

UPDATE: No girl trapped in collapsed Mexico school; all students are accounted for, officials say

Rescuers are desperately working to save a 12-year-old girl buried in the rubble of her school in Mexico Thursday following the country’s deadliest earthquake in 32 years.

Tuesday’s magnitude 7.1 earthquake collapsed Enrique Rebsamen school, and dozens of other buildings in the city, killing at least 245 people.

READ MORE: Rescue workers dig through fallen Mexico school an hear ‘small voices’

On Wednesday, crews were removing brick and concrete from the school when they saw a hand protruding from the debris. The girl then wiggled her fingers when asked if she was still alive.

One of the rescuers, Vladimir Navarro, said he spent the night trying to free the girl, who has been trapped for more than 24 hours.

1:01 Search crews cheer as man pulled from rubble of Mexico earthquake alive

• Search crews cheer as man pulled from rubble of Mexico earthquake alive
• Aerial video shows collapsed buildings in Mexico City after deadly earthquake
• At least 22 students killed after Mexico earthquake collapses school
• Panicked shoppers, swaying highrises, toppled buildings during earthquake in Mexico
• Rescue crews use sniffer dogs to aid in search for victims of Mexican earthquake
• Mexican army continues rescue efforts in Mexico after major earthquake
• Tourists take cover under tables during Mexico earthquake
• Rescuers call for silence in the search for survivors of Mexican earthquake
• Mexican president tours site of collapsed school

Previous Video

Next Video

Rescuers removed dirt bucketful by bucketful and passed a scanner over the rubble every hour or so to search for heat signatures that could indicate other trapped survivors near her.

Navarro said rescuers are “just metres away from getting to the children” at the school, but the rubble is unstable and they can’t get far until it is shored up. “With the shaking there has been, it is very unstable and taking any decision is dangerous,” he said.

The Mexican Navy released a statement appealing for information about the little girl but said no relatives have approached to offer any information about her.

READ MORE: A trapped girl in a Mexican school becomes a symbol for a country’s rescue efforts

Local media initially reported the girl’s name was Frida Sofía. However, teachers from the school said all students named Frida Sofía at Enrique Rebsamen school have been accounted for, according to local media.

Eleven other children were rescued from the school, who were students are aged six to 15. Twenty-one children and five adults there were killed.

— With files from the Associated Press and Reuters