The United Nations says Haiti's government has declared the search and rescue phase for survivors of the earthquake over. The announcement came a day after two people, an 84-year-old woman and a 21-year-old man, were pulled alive from the rubble in Port-au-Prince.<br/><br/>The UN spokeswoman Elizabeth Byrs said in Geneva that the decision to end the rescue operation was heartbreaking but that it had been taken on the advice of experts. She said 132 people have been rescued since the earthquake 11 days ago. Ms. Byrs said most search and rescue teams would now be leaving Haiti, although some with heavy lifting equipment may stay to help with the clean-up operation and with aid distribution. Although two people were pulled out alive yesterday, it is believed rescue teams have detected no new signs of life under the rubble for the last three days. <br/><br/>Yesterday, the official government death toll from the quake rose to 110,000. Haiti's government has said at least 75,000 bodies have so far been buried in mass graves. An estimated 1.5 million people were left homeless by the 7.0-magnitude quake, which some have estimated has killed as many as 200,000 people.
News On AIR | January 23, 2010 6:02 PM
Haiti declares search & rescue of earthquake survivors over