10:54pm UK, Saturday January 23, 2010

Neal Walker, Sky News Online

Rescue teams continue to pull survivors from the rubble after the earthquake which devastated Haiti, despite reports of the end of the search and rescue mission.

Haitians have been forced to scavenge on the streets of Port-au-Prince

A man in his early twenties was rescued from the rubble of a grocer’s shop, where he had been trapped since the quake on January 12.

The man told rescue workers that five other people were alive with him, but they could not detect any other signs of life in the ruins.

The United Nations had claimed that the Haitian government declared the search and rescue mission over on Friday, to allow aid workers to turn their attention to the massive task of providing survivors with desperately-needed supplies.

French ambassador Didier Le Bret, who was at the scene of the latest rescue, said: “Officially the search ended yesterday, but because these firefighters are stubborn people, they came when they were called.”

The United Nations says at least 132 people have been pulled alive from beneath the rubble since the huge natural disaster 11 days ago.

Search and rescue teams have worked tirelessly for 11 days

But the interior ministry says more than 110,000 have now been confirmed dead, making it the deadliest quake on record in the Americas.

British rescue teams have returned to the UK after flying out to the stricken country immediately after the disaster.

The crews pulled three people alive from the rubble, including a two-year-old toddler called Mia.

International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander said: “We should all be proud of the brave UK firefighters who worked tirelessly to help the Haitians, in difficult and dangerous conditions.

“I would like to thank them on behalf of the UK government.”

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service’s chief fire officer Steve McGuirk said: “It is with great pride that I welcome back safely the members of our service to their families.

“They have demonstrated tenacity, professionalism and courage in taking part in the UK national response to help the people of Haiti.”

Two survivors, including an 84-year-old woman, were pulled from the wreckage on Friday, 10 days after the 7.0 magnitude quake.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been left injured and many are now living rough on the streets of the capital Port-au-Prince.

A star-studded transatlantic telethon took place on Friday to raise money for the Caribbean country.

Coldplay’s Chris Martin joined fellow rock and pop royalty Bono, Jay-Z and Beyonce in London for the broadcast.

George Clooney, who helped organise the two-hour telecast, told viewers: “The Haitian people need our help.

“They need to know that they are not alone. They need to know that we still care.”

Donations by Britons to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) appeal have topped £42m as UK fund-raising efforts continue.