Deadly earthquake topples buildings in Taiwan
The death toll from a 6.4-magnitude earthquake in southeastern Taiwan continues to climb, while more than 300 people have been taken to the hospital, the Chinese CTI News TV channel reports.
The 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck 28 miles southeast of the city of Tainan on Saturday night, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). The earthquake was shallow, which contributed to significant damages.
Multiple buildings, including a 17-story residential one that housed over 200 people, collapsed in Tainan.
City authorities have formed an emergency response center and rescue workers continue to free people from the rubble. Over 220 people have been rescued.
High-speed railway service and power supplies in the south of Taiwan were disrupted because of the quake.
In China, tremors from the quake forced authorities to suspend some train service, according to CCTV.
Taiwan lies along the so-called Ring of Fire, a horseshoe-shaped string of volcanoes around the Pacific Rim, where about 90 percent of the world’s earthquakes occur.
In 1999, the small island nation east of China was devastated by a 7.6-magnitude earthquake that killed some 2,700 people.
The deadliest earthquake in Taiwan occurred in 1935, claiming the lives of over 3,200 people and causing extensive damage.
African News Agency (ANA)