Taiwan Quake: Death Toll Rises To 14 As Rescue Operation Continues

KABUL: (MEP) At least 14 people confirmed dead in Taiwan deadly earthquake as rescuers pulled more people from a collapsed apartment tower on Sunday.

A strong earthquake shook the island leaving some 220 injured while the rescuers kept searching for about 120 others still believed trapped in the ruins of the building.

The cluster of buildings in the historic southern city of Tainan were full of families who had gathered for Lunar New Year celebrations when it collapsed.

Meanwhile, other sources report that the rescuers managed to pull out some alive people from under the collapsed rubble who were identified as a 20-year-old Huang Kuang-wei and another man in his 20s surnamed Kuo, who was able to walk out from the rubble, supported by rescuers. Both were sent to hospital.

“She’s not answering my phone calls … I am trying to hold my emotions and stay strong. I’ll do that until I find her,” said a woman surnamed Chang, 42, waiting to hear from her 24-year-old daughter who lived on the fifth floor of the complex.

At least 23 people are known to have died in the quake, which struck at about 4 a.m. on Saturday, at the beginning of a Lunar New Year holiday, including 16 found in the collapsed Wei-guan Golden Dragon Building in the southern city of Tainan.

More than 250 have been rescued so far, with more than 40 hospitalized. However, rescue operations still continue.