132 people remain trapped under rubble of Taiwan apartment complex

Photo of author

By BNO NEWS

An estimated 132 people remain trapped under the rubble of a collapsed apartment complex in southern Taiwan, more than 24 hours after the region was rocked by a strong earthquake, local officials say.

William Lai, the mayor of Tainan City, said the latest figures indicate that at least 313 people lived at the 17-story apartment complex, and that 166 of them had been rescued by Sunday morning. Twenty-one bodies have been pulled from the rubble so far.

Mayor Lai said the figures indicate that at least 132 remain trapped inside the buildings, but many of those are in locations that are difficult to reach. He said 29 of those trapped are believed to be in areas where rescue teams can reach them, but the other 103 are buried in places which are deeper and have no direct access points.

It is unknown how many of those trapped are still alive, but it is feared that the death toll will rise significantly.

An update from Tainan City’s emergency management center said the death toll in the city stood at 23 by 7 a.m. on Sunday. In addition to those killed, hospitals in the city are treating at least 465 people, though there is no word on their conditions.

(Copyright 2015 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: sales@bnonews.com.)

Images Courtesy of DepositPhotos