Quote Originally Posted by astral276 View Post
Except the cat exists only in the mind. Those left buried alive because someone has decided they must all be dead are real people.

This happens so often that you have to wonder how many die after the search has been called off and the bulldozers are sent in.
Continuing the search could be a double edged sword, especially after earthquakes. On the one hand people might be found alive, but on the other hand the rotting bodies of the dead can cause disease which coupled with a possible lack of running water, low food supplies, medication, hospitals could lead to the death of original survivors.