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Ofer Mizrahi. Feared dead
Photo: Ido Erez
What remains of CTV building
Photo: AFP
Mourning the dead in Christchurch
Photo: AP

Israelis missing in New Zealand

Foreign Ministry says 20-30 Israelis have not made contact, 3-4 were last seen in area of quake

A search is on for some 300 missing people in New Zealand 24 hours after a deadly earthquake claimed the lives of at least 75. Ynet learned Wednesday that three or four Israeli travelers last seen in Christchurch before the quake are still missing.

 

In addition, the New Zealand Herald reported that Christchurch police have said there is no chance of saving over 100 people trapped in the CTV building that collapsed during the earthquake.

  

According to reports, police estimated the number of victims will rise. Among those trapped are 15 network employees and Japanese students.

 

In Israel,the Foreign Ministry says that altogether 20-30 travelers have still not contacted their families, but officials explained that this is probably due to technical issues and that they are not categorized as missing persons yet.

 

The Israeli consul to New Zealand, Teddy Poplinger, is on location in the city of Christchurch. "There is a list of Israelis who have yet to make contact," he said. "We are more worried about three or four of them because they were last seen in town prior to the earthquake."

 

Poplinger added that he has "passed along the names to the authorities and asked for assistance. We've also contacted the hospital incase they run into them so they can inform us."

 

Of the Israelis gone missing, 23-year old Ofer Mizrahi is feared dead. His three traveling companions reported that a building collapsed on their vehicle while he was inside, but his family has not received official confirmation of his death.  


Damage done by magnitude-6.3 quake (Photo: AP)

 

Two other Israelis who have not yet contacted their families are Gabi Ingel and Ofer Levy, both 22 from Rehovot, who have been traveling in New Zealand since December.

 

Gil Ingel, Gabi's father, told Ynet he was beside himself with worry. "I last spoke to him 12 hours before the quake and he told me they were planning to go work at a vineyard on the day of the quake. Since then we have not been able to contact him," he said.

 

Ayelet Ingel, his sister, said the family had received conflicting reports. "At first we heard nothing, but we hoped everything was okay because they weren't supposed to be in the city. Then we received information that they had been seen and we calmed down," she recounted.

 

But in the morning, she said, "we were told they were seen a half an hour before the quake, leaving a hostel in the city." Ingel asked that anyone who has any information on her brother's whereabouts come forward.

 

An Israeli woman in Auckland told Ynet that the Christchurch airport was now open to local flights. She said it was glaringly obvious the country's authorities were not accustomed to dealing with crises.

 

"There is chaos here. Christchurch is not is not capable of dealing with such disasters when referring to the size of its hospital and rescue equipment," she said, adding that she knew of 125 doctors who had been flown from Auckland, in the north, to the country's southern quake-stricken area.

 

In addition, Christchurch was dealing with a shortage of drinking water due to downed pipes, she said. "The water running through the pipes is contaminated by the sewage system, which overflowed because of the disaster," she said.

 

Ronen Medzini contributed to this report

 

 


פרסום ראשון: 02.23.11, 09:26
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