QUAKE BUILDINGS

Standards to be check

04-13-2009 | AP

Panama Star L'AQUILA, ITALY. L'Aquila's chief prosecutor announced an investigation into allegations of shoddy construction as workers continued to scour the rubble for people still missing after a devastating earthquake five days ago.

Rescuers pulled one more body from a collapsed building on Saturday, raising the death toll to 291.

Workers also picked through the rubble of an apartment building in L'Aquila after dogs trained to look for survivors indicated there might be life in the debris, but fire officials at the scene cautioned against concluding that a survivor was inside.

Sounds emanating from the rubble could be water running, an appliance or even an animal, rescuers said. "The work is long, tiring and delicate, because you risk causing a cave-in.”