Rescuers race to save over 120 buried after Taiwan quake
World
Rescuers race to save over 120 buried after Taiwan quake
Rescuers raced Sunday to free more than 120 people buried under the rubble of an apartment complex felled by an earthquake in southern Taiwan that left 26 dead, as an investigation began into the collapse. The government in Tainan said that more than 170 people had been rescued from the 17-story building following the magnitude-6.4 quake that struck before dawn Saturday. Firefighters, police, soldiers and volunteers combed through the ruins, some using their hands, watched anxiously by dozens of the victims’ family members who wore thick jackets, woolen hats and scarves on a chilly morning. The quake came two days before the start of Lunar New Year celebrations that mark the most important family holiday in the Chinese calendar. Earthquakes frequently rattle Taiwan, but most are minor and cause little or no damage. However, a magnitude-7.6 quake in central Taiwan in 1999 killed more than 2,300 people.
