Local authorities in the southern Taiwanese city of Tainan are scrambling for rescue operations after a strong 6.4 magnitude earthquake hits the city toppling building and injuring residents. According to authorities three people were confirmed dead and at least 154 people were hospitalized.
Rescue workers which includes firefighters and soldiers proceed to the site of the two collapsed residential high-rises with ladders, cranes and other equipment as they were able to extract 221 people from the rubble.
Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported that about 200 people are believed to have been living inside in about 60 households. Rescuers also pulled out 34 people from another Wei Guan high-rise, which had 16 floors and housed 150 families.
Aside from the said two residential building news reports also confirmed that several buildings also collapsed or partially damaged during the earthquake that hits at about 4 a.m. local time (2000 GMT Friday). It was located some 22 miles (36 kilometers) southeast of Yujing, and struck about 6 miles (10 kilometers) underground, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The road where the building is located had gas leaks and water pipe ruptures, the news agency said. Based upon live footage on national TV in Taiwan, the the dawn broke survivors were being brought gingerly from the two collapsed buildings.