≡ Police detain owner of collapsed Haiti school
PETIONVILLE, Haiti (CNN) — Authorities have detained the owner of a Haitian school that collapsed, killing at least 84 students. Meanwhile, rescue workers continue to comb through the rubble in search of survivors.
The owner of a school that collapsed in Haiti surrendered to authorities on Saturday.
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Fortin Augustin, who owns College La Promesse Evangelique in Petionville, surrendered to authorities on Saturday, police spokesman Garry Desrosier told The Associated Press.
Desrosier said Augustin has not been charged. He is currently being detained at a police station near Port-au-Prince.
As many as 700 children were on the school grounds, celebrating the school’s birthday when the building collapsed about 10 a.m. Friday ET, said Abel Nazaire, deputy coordinator of Risk and Disaster Management in Port-au-Prince.
By Saturday night, 150 people had been injured, but many more remained missing, Nazaire said.
Officials said it has not been easy to determine how many people were inside the building at the time of the collapse.
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"Yesterday (Friday), there was a special event at the school, so there were not only pupils, but family members and friends who were invited," said Rob Drouen, a spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross. "It’s very difficult to say how many people were in the school."
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Most of the students at the school ranged in age from 10 to 20, officials said, but some are younger. Haitian press reports said kindergarten, primary and secondary students attended the school.
Amelia Shaw, a journalist with United Nations TV who visited the scene, said the second floor of the building crumbled onto the first. Haitian President Rene Preval has said the structure of the three-story school building was "really weak" and called for a review of construction guidelines.
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International aid crews continue to sift through the wreckage in search of survivors.
Earlier Saturday, rescue crews pulled out several children alive, prompting cheers and reviving hope among parents. Since then, there had been no signs of life.
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November 13th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
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November 17th, 2008 at 12:07 am
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