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Ofer Mizrahi. Saved friends' lives
Reproduction photo: Ido Erez
Ofer friends after returning to Israel
Photo: George Ginsburg

New Zealand: Missing Israeli's body identified

(Video) Ofer Mizrahi, who died in Christchurch earthquake last week, officially declared dead. Search continues for two missing Israelis from Rehovot

VIDEO - The body of Ofer Mizrahi, 23, who was killed in the earthquake that hit Christchurch, New Zealand last Tuesday has been indentified. The body is scheduled to be flown to Israel later on Sunday. A total of 147 people were killed in the deadly earthquake. Rescue forces are still searching for some 200 missing persons.

 

Ofer's three friends, who were with him inside a car during the quake, informed his family of his death last Tuesday but the official announcement was received only on Sunday.

 

Guy Yorden, one of Ofer's friends, who has returned to Israel in the meantime, said Thursday that Ofer had saved all their lives. "Ofer said 'it's an earthquake' and effectively saved our lives. We managed to escape from the car and he didn’t."

 

Meanwhile, the search continues for Gabi Ingel and Ofer Levy who have yet to contact their relatives in Israel.

 

Ingel and Levy, who have both been traveling through New Zealand since December were meant to start working in a vineyard in the earthquake zone. Their friends have contacted all the local winemakers but did not receive any relevant information about the two.

 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he will talk to the families of the two missing Israelis on Sunday. "There are two missing Israelis in New Zealand who are feared dead. We are working with the New Zealand government to locate them and provide New Zealand with aid.

 

"They have asked for certain equipment and the foreign minister will speak with them today in order to determine which supplies will be sent. We want to speed up efforts to trace the two and I shall speak with New Zealand's prime minister today to achieve this."

 

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Friends of Gabi and Ofer launch search campaign

 

Search efforts blocked

Meanwhile Israeli private rescue teams searching for the two have not yet been permitted to enter the quake zone.

 

Levy's uncle, Dr. Yaakov Levy, said that despite great efforts by Israeli diplomats in New Zealand they have not had any success negotiating with local bureaucractic elements. He therefore turned to Netanyahu for help. "Time is running out," he said.

 

Levy also criticized local forces for scanning the area in a superficial manner. "We’re hundreds of yards away from the site with all this equipment. The people are anxious to get to work," he said.

 

Over 3,000 members have joined the special Facebook group created to support the search. The members have created a video showing pictures of the two in the hopes that anyone with information will see it and contact them.

 

 


פרסום ראשון: 02.27.11, 11:09
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