Friends of traveler missing in NZ land in Israel; 2 more feared dead

The Foreign Ministry announced Thursday morning that Ofer Levy and Gabi Ingel, who went missing during the devastating earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand are feared dead. The two have not contacted their families.

The Foreign Ministry said that according to eyewitness accounts, during the earthquake Levy and Ingel – both from Rehovot – were making their way from a guesthouse they were staying in to a vineyard. The Israelis, who hoped to find work at the vineyard, never reached their destination.

Some 25 Israelis who were in New Zealand during the quake have yet to contact their families, the ministry said, but estimated that most of them have been unable to get in touch with their families back home for technical reasons.

Mizrahi (right) with Michal and Guy (Reproduction photo: Ido Erez)

Rescuers said the death toll from the earthquake reached 98 after searchers pulled dozens of bodies from a Christchurch television building now turned into a tomb.

Teams from quake-prone countries such as Japan and the United States sent in sniffer dogs and lowered microphones into piles of rubble to probe for signs of life, two days after a 6.3 magnitude quake struck the country's second-biggest city.

"It's a dreadful, dreadful day, it's a hard day for the search and rescue people because everybody is full of hope we can find people in the rubble," said city Mayor Bob Parker as rescue teams failed to find any sign of life.

Meanwhile, three friends who had been traveling together in New Zealand when the deadly quake hit landed in Israel Thursday, and were reunited with their families.

Ofer Mizrahi (23) of Kibbutz Magal, the fourth companion traveling with them, is feared dead as a building was seen to collapse on his vehicle. Israeli Ambassador to New Zealand Shemi Tzur updated Mizrahi's mother on the efforts to locate her son.

Michal Freidman and Liron Sadeh, who were in the vehicle with Mizrahi, managed to escape the car unharmed. Guy Yorden, who was in the passenger seat, managed to shatter the windshield and escape as well. Mizrahi remained trapped inside.

"Ofer said, 'It's an earthquake' – he actually saved our lives," said Yorden. "We succeeded in escaping from the car and he didn't. We visited his family and told them he was certainly killed."

Yorden and Freidman are also members of Kibbutz Magal. "The joy is bittersweet, because we still do not know what happened to Ofer," one kibbutz member said after the two returned home.

Foreign Ministry official Yossi Levy said, "We are leaving no stone unturned in the search for missing Israelis. We pray that they all return home in good health."

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