Quake survivor spent a week in hotel rubble

RESCUERS have found a survivor under the rubble of a hotel – a week after an earthquake and tsunami devastated central Sulawesi in Indonesia.

But the French team had to leave the unidentified victim trapped because they did not have powerful enough equipment to dig them out.

Philip Besson, of rescue group Pompiers de l’urgence, said his team’s sensor ‘detected the presence of a victim’ in the ruin of the four-star Mercure Hotel in Palu. The device is able to pick up signs of life such as breathing and heartbeats.

He said his team would return with heavier kit today. Rescue efforts since last Friday’s quake, which killed more than 1,400, have been hindered by equipment shortages.

The Indonesian military is bringing in hundreds more troops to help with search and rescue efforts and keep order among survivors. The UN says more than 200,000 people are in dire need of assistance.