Mexican authorities conclude no child trapped in collapsed school

By Joshua Partlow September 21 at 3:41 PM

BREAKING: Mexican officials conclude there is no child still buried at Mexico City school after earthquake, in surprise twist to national drama.

MEXICO CITY — A sprawling earthquake recovery effort spanning several states turned intensely personal Thursday as rescue crews struggled to save a 12-year-old girl who was pinned in the rubble of her elementary school.

The drama played out live late Wednesday and Thursday on the major news channels here, with television cameras tracking every movement of the Mexican navy personnel and others who sought to rescue the girl now known as “Frida Sofia.” Under a soft rain, the work was delicate and painstaking, relying on thermal cameras and other technology to try to locate and remove young children trapped for more than 30 hours after their school collapsed Tuesday afternoon.

At one point Wednesday night in a drama that has riveted Mexicans, Televisa reporter Danielle Dithurbide learned from the navy admiral leading the recovery effort that Frida Sofia — which may not be her real name — was able to tell rescuers that five other students were possibly trapped with her. It was unclear whether they were alive.

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