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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/21/mexico-city-earthquake-frida-sofia-enrique-rebsamen-school
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| Frida Sofía, age 12: the Mexico City quake 'survivor' who was never there | Frida Sofía, age 12: the Mexico City quake 'survivor' who was never there |
| (25 days later) | |
| The story captivated a country still reeling from catastrophe: rescue workers were labouring round the clock to free a 12-year-old girl who had miraculously survived Mexico’s devastating earthquake, but remained trapped in the ruins of her school. | The story captivated a country still reeling from catastrophe: rescue workers were labouring round the clock to free a 12-year-old girl who had miraculously survived Mexico’s devastating earthquake, but remained trapped in the ruins of her school. |
| Television channels broadcast breathless updates describing how the rescuers were inching closer to the cavity where Frida Sofía was buried alive. | Television channels broadcast breathless updates describing how the rescuers were inching closer to the cavity where Frida Sofía was buried alive. |
| Naval officers leading the rescue effort told reporters that she had been seen to wiggle her fingers, that she had taken shelter under a granite table and was in contact with schoolmates. | Naval officers leading the rescue effort told reporters that she had been seen to wiggle her fingers, that she had taken shelter under a granite table and was in contact with schoolmates. |
| But on Thursday, hope turned to heartache – and then anger – as the story fell apart: there was no student named Frida Sofía; there was no girl trapped in the ruins of Enrique Rebsámen school. | But on Thursday, hope turned to heartache – and then anger – as the story fell apart: there was no student named Frida Sofía; there was no girl trapped in the ruins of Enrique Rebsámen school. |
| After two days when it seemed that a rescue could come at any moment, the navy assistant secretary, Enrique Sarmiento, abruptly announced that all the school’s children had been accounted for. | After two days when it seemed that a rescue could come at any moment, the navy assistant secretary, Enrique Sarmiento, abruptly announced that all the school’s children had been accounted for. |
| “We want to emphasize that we have no knowledge about the report that emerged with the name of a girl,” Sarmiento added. “We do not believe – we are sure – it was not a reality.” | “We want to emphasize that we have no knowledge about the report that emerged with the name of a girl,” Sarmiento added. “We do not believe – we are sure – it was not a reality.” |
| The announcement came just hours after a different navy official had told El Financiero TV that rescue workers were in contact with the girl. | The announcement came just hours after a different navy official had told El Financiero TV that rescue workers were in contact with the girl. |
| The revelation that there never was a Frida Sofía infuriated many Mexicans, who felt they’d been fed a false narrative of hope by press and public officials. | The revelation that there never was a Frida Sofía infuriated many Mexicans, who felt they’d been fed a false narrative of hope by press and public officials. |
| “People are angry,” said Esteban Illades, editor of the Mexican magazine Nexos. “Frida was the story.” | “People are angry,” said Esteban Illades, editor of the Mexican magazine Nexos. “Frida was the story.” |
| Online, many vented anger at the authorities. But they also targeted the media – especially the broadcasting giant Televisa. Some compared the episode to the story of Monchito, a nine-year-boy who was the focus of a massive rescue attempt from the rubble of Mexico City’s devastating 1985 earthquake, but turned out not to have existed. | Online, many vented anger at the authorities. But they also targeted the media – especially the broadcasting giant Televisa. Some compared the episode to the story of Monchito, a nine-year-boy who was the focus of a massive rescue attempt from the rubble of Mexico City’s devastating 1985 earthquake, but turned out not to have existed. |
| Televisa anchors also expressed frustration: “The federal government always told us there was a girl and they were about to rescue her. Now they changed their version. Outrageous,” tweeted anchor Carlos Loret de Mola. | Televisa anchors also expressed frustration: “The federal government always told us there was a girl and they were about to rescue her. Now they changed their version. Outrageous,” tweeted anchor Carlos Loret de Mola. |
| During the rescue, soldiers and marines with specialised equipment such as heat sensors and sensitive microphones searched the school site for signs of life – and claimed to have found Frida Sofía. Rescue workers were said to be feeding her milk down plastic tubes. | During the rescue, soldiers and marines with specialised equipment such as heat sensors and sensitive microphones searched the school site for signs of life – and claimed to have found Frida Sofía. Rescue workers were said to be feeding her milk down plastic tubes. |
| But then the discrepancies started to emerge: no distraught family members came to the school; none of the surviving staff or students knew anyone of that name. | But then the discrepancies started to emerge: no distraught family members came to the school; none of the surviving staff or students knew anyone of that name. |
| Late on Wednesday, cheers broke out at the site of the ruined school as a rumour spread that two students had been saved. | Late on Wednesday, cheers broke out at the site of the ruined school as a rumour spread that two students had been saved. |
| But soon after, a group of volunteer first responders known as the Moles – famed for burrowing through rubble – left the school saying there had been a difference of opinion with naval officials who had taken over the rescue effort. | But soon after, a group of volunteer first responders known as the Moles – famed for burrowing through rubble – left the school saying there had been a difference of opinion with naval officials who had taken over the rescue effort. |
| In the end, that effort was unnecessary. | In the end, that effort was unnecessary. |
| The anger prompted by the episode was the product of widespread disgust with public officials and media outlets which are routinely accused of fudging statistics and downplaying Mexico’s problems. | The anger prompted by the episode was the product of widespread disgust with public officials and media outlets which are routinely accused of fudging statistics and downplaying Mexico’s problems. |
| “We already have extremely low levels of interpersonal and institutional trust,” said Rodolfo Soriano-Nuñez, a sociologist in Mexico City. | “We already have extremely low levels of interpersonal and institutional trust,” said Rodolfo Soriano-Nuñez, a sociologist in Mexico City. |
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