Mr. H. P. Tooker, Acting Assistant Director of Public Works, was also on the spot directing the removal of the ruins. Inspectors Kemp, Baker, and McNab were to be seen energetically helping in the work of rescue, which was carried on by relays of European, Indian, and Chinese firemen and police.
As late as 10 a.m. yesterday morning, people buried beneath the ruins could be plainly heard calling for help, but the great mass of fallen material made it impossible either to locate the cries immediately or to release the sufferers when located.
A twelve-year-old lad had a miraculous escape. He was buried under the before-mentioned arch formed by the woodwork, and when rescued on Wednesday night at about 12 o'clock, he was found to be without a scratch, but, as might be expected, nearly paralysed with fright. The sight of some of the wounded was most pitiable. One old man had his forehead stove in, his face a mass of blood; others seemed to be simply crushed, without apparent wounds, but unable to move a limb. One corpse removed had both legs burnt off, the right arm burnt to a cinder, the face all burnt, and a big hole in the back of his head. All of the bodies removed yesterday forenoon were more or less burnt.
This is the second accident of this kind in the same street. The first happened some seventeen years ago, when a partially-erected building at the corner, almost adjacent to the scene of the present disaster, collapsed. On that occasion, however, the building was unoccupied, and the casualties were but trifling.
The numerous boxes containing clothing and personal belongings of the tenants of the collapsed houses, taken from the debris, seem to bear out the statement as to the great number of people who were in the buildings at the time of the disaster.
At 3:45 p.m., the searchers found a little girl, underneath the debris quite unharmed. This made a total of forty-one dead, injured, and unharmed recovered so far, beside the two men who forced their way from beneath the ruins unaided.
The following is a detailed list of victims:-
Killed: 12 males, 2 females, 2 children, and one charred corpse (sex unrecognisable), a total of 17.
Injured: 9 males and 1 female seriously, 11 males and 2 females slightly, total 23.
Escaped without hurt: 3 males and one female, total 4.
It being too dangerous to continue clearing away the remains of the houses for fear of the walls of the two adjoining houses giving away, coolies were engaged all yesterday afternoon in putting up braces between the two buildings.
Last night, we learnt that Mr. H. P. Tooker, who remained at the scene of the disaster throughout the entire day assisting in the directing of the rescue operations, met with a rather nasty mishap between five and six o'clock in the afternoon, a falling brick striking him on the head and inflicting a severe scalp wound. But for the fact that Mr. Tooker was wearing his sun-hat at the moment, the accident might have had more serious consequences. The wound was dressed, and Mr. Tooker taken to the Government Civil Hospital.
10 P.M.
The search for bodies buried underneath the debris was started again at 8 o'clock under the directions of Inspector Kemp and Sergeants Kerr and Smith. Two bodies were excavated, making a total of nineteen dead so far. At the time of going to press, three more bodies were located and were being dug out.
Great difficulty is experienced by the police in obtaining coolies to help in excavating the victims of the collapse, one and all refusing, for some reason or other, to engage in the ghastly work. Only a few Chinese firemen were at work last night.
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