Taiwan quake fells 17-storey building, 123 rescued so far – fire brigade

TAIPEI (Reuters) – A Taiwan quake toppled a 17-storey apartment building in southern Tainan city on Saturday, and crews had so far rescued 123 people from the wreckage, a fire brigade official said.

A building is damaged from an earthquake in Tainan, February 6, 2016. REUTERS/Stringer

There were no immediate reports of deaths from the 6.4 magnitude tremor, which struck before dawn.

Rescue personnel help a victim at a damaged building after an earthquake in Tainan, southern Taiwan, February 6, 2016. REUTERS/Stringer

“There are 60 households in that building,” said Tainan City Government Fire Bureau information officer Lee Po Min, estimating that there might be about 240 people living there.

(Reporting by Yimou Lee; Editing by Mark Bendeich)

TAIPEI (Reuters) – There was no sign of life in two people taken to a Taiwan hospital from a 17-story collapsed building on Saturday after a strong earthquake rocked the region, Taiwan television ETtoday reported.

Rescue personnel work at a damaged building after an earthquake in Tainan, southern Taiwan, February 6, 2016. REUTERS/Pichi Chuang

Another television station reported that there was no sign of life from an infant girl found at the collapsed building in the city of Tainan.

Taiwan media often use the term “out-of-hospital cardiac arrest”, or no sign of life, to refer to fatalities before they are officially pronounced dead.

(Reporting by J.R. Wu; Editing by Robert Birsel)