European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 25, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Days of death and diplomacy did soviets bungle Relief Effort by Bill Keller new York times n the Wake of the Earlh i Rake disaster in Sovio Ai mania  Fua Dors from Hall a Doson countries convened if Iho Green army Lent that is now communal Pirrly Headquarters m speak. Ii was a tense Dif oxalic lace Olf in inc Middle Ollie most staggering misery any of them Harj Ever seen. The a twirls announced Hal Flor Days of pulling Art Sioman children irom collapsed kindergarten buildings and picking half alive victims from flattened nine Story apartment blocks it was Lime to give ii shoo away the Grill sync Ken survivors and level what Lilloo remained of a a City. British French austrian italian and Omer Western Relief work cars objected. Reports wore still coming in that rail crier for help were audible in he debris. They made it Cloar Hal if Iho buit doers came in Loo soon  had Boon an  Che icis in East West Eine Joncy Corpora lion could become an inc Malinna embarrassment Tor Moscow. I Houghl Al one Lime they were Irving to use the Rescue teams to say thai no one was left alive and they could go in to begin demolishing and Clearing said Norman f. Roundell a London lire inspector who led she opposition. To lol them know in very Strong terms that they were  the so viols yielded and he gruesome dig Wen on until the foreign contingent in Spilak Mol again and Aye Elf Hal it Wasi Imo to Start pack ing up. These Days of death and diplomacy have exposed backwardness and inflexibly in Iho soviet system Hal Are  to pro Yoko months of official recriminations Bui Hoy have also sewn a society Long secretive about Domestic tragedies Andrj ashamed of soliciting. Foreign help open Wilsoh to the world s p a and Dover to outside advice As never Bolo re. A Sihu emergency Rescue Effort gives Way o evacuation refugee Soliel demolition and rebuilding. Many participants in the Rescue believe thai this painful Lime has also marked an important turning Poirel incl Lucial soviet altitudes  outside world the oficial Doalph toll of Iho one 7 quake is Slit Pul at 55.000, but Many estimates Are much higher. Each liw lured cil y and Village in the earthquake zone has its own special character of Sull ering. Spitak a regional Center once known for us sugar factory and elevator Plant was. Barely recognizable As a City. In 200 seconds it was pounded Flat by the three massive jolts o the quake Zarband a shepherding Village Westol Spilak looked As if in had been crisscrossed by a colossal plow. The Grade school fell in a Heap killing 500 students and teachers sparing Only a group of eighth graders playing outside. The children in two kindergartens were also fatally engulfed in Concrete and volcanic alone. See Nanavan a. I y Al the Northern Edge of fhe zone. Presented an illusory picture of miraculous Good Luck. Most buildings remained standing and of 1,000 children Only one was killed when the Shock rattled Ihu Grade school. But the tremors left the surviving structures As Brittle As eggshells. We will have to Knock Down 99 percent of the  said i. Cola Salofi v. Khz Rudnev commander of an army unit that was initially sent to Stepa Navan last month to enforce a state of emergency alter ethnic clashes Between local armenians and azerbaijanis. Even a mild earthquake now could bring these buildings  residents sleep in tents or shepherds yurts outside tha hazardous buildings awaiting evacuation. A contingent of West germans was already demolishing buildings that threatened to Tumble. Loni Nakan was an Urban Nightmare with just enough Iol Lerino shells to convey the outlines of a bustling City. There is an eerie voyeuristic Quality Aboul buildings with Walls sheered away exposing living rooms and kitchens. Work Crews with cranes and shovels picked Over Tho debits by floodlight As ghostly figures wandered the streets and campfires flickered in the rubble. It s totally of Islda my  said Peter Wilson a London firefighter who was part of one of the last foreign Rescue teams Al tha la Niakan Airport. As a fire professional it s a very interesting technical problem he said. But As an individual i would t want to see anything like this again. It gives a very Good impression i suppose of what the second world War rust have been  throughout this spectacular but hardscrabble wheal  the quake picked and chose with cruel whimsy barns and pinkish Stone houses in the Village of Dzhamd Shlyuk crumbled while a Lew Miles Down the Road int Ilkar in this part of armenian Tilty of Spital Only Tew buildings were left standing by devastating Dee. 7 Quatt. Page 14 the stars and stripes armenian in mourning makeshift wooden Cross in Spitak  fips chores largely unscathed. Especially in the first few Days Rescue efforts were Fei plagued by confusion and inefficiency according to Relief k workers and residents interviewed throughout the Region. Pc. Foreigners Bald that they were frequently frustrated by it a bureaucracy that still awaits orders from the lop a. " British Rescue team had logo Alt Iho Way to the. Commanding general to get clearance to use an army. Truck and Hen had to negotiate for diesel fuel to run it. Wilson a divisional officer from the Kent fire brigade said in took him a full Day of a Guing again i fyn Strong resistance evidently from the Kab before he was allowed to set up  dish in Leni Nakan Tor direct communications with London. Relief Crews arrived at the Moscow Airport. Only to find that Iho authorities had no idea where to Send them. It took several Days to Muster translators for the rescuers. Foreign doctors complained that soviet physicians. Often refused to let them treat a aliens with Iho sophist located medical equip Neil they had brought in. By Chance thousands of soviet troops were already in the Region to into co a state of emergency imposed alter ethnic conflicts that broke Oul last. Month the latest outbursts  territorial dispute Wilt Azerbaijan  nearly three weeks after  the military .   it martial Law by Yerevan the Capil alot Armenia . Except or construction Brig Etres a sol jew Orion repairing rail and water lines the soldiers in Spilak and Leni Nakan seemed a be doing Little  controlling Access to the damaged areas chasing looters and standing around campfires. Later when the civilian bureaucracy proved. Inadequate and occasionally obstructive the army also stepped in to organize the distribution of hot ipod. Drugs and tends and to generally supervise the. Deploy Menlow . ,. Foreigners working there tended to to More. Forgiving Tolian tote Sovio press which has railed against bureaucratic snags and ill prepared local. Officials though nil Agai Het he military.  i think he scale Otil overwhelmed the local officials said Flouri Deji. He senior British Aid. Reprise native sent to Armenia but this improved enormously As Lime went  Western rescuers said that Iho recovery was sunday dec