Taiwan earthquake: Child pulled out alive from rubble

8-year-old girl, three others rescued 2 days after earthquake

A girl aged eight and three others were rescued Monday from the rubble of a Taiwan apartment tower complex, more than two days after it was felled by an earthquake, but over 100 others remain trapped in the ruins.

Questions about the disaster intensified after images from the site showed metal cans and foam had been used to fill parts of the complex’s concrete framework.

The girl and a 28-year-old woman were the latest to be pulled from the rubble, while a man and a woman were rescued earlier in the day as emergency workers scrabbled to find the missing.

Prosecutors have launched an investigation into the collapse of the 16-storey Wei-kuan building — the only high-rise in the southern city of Tainan to crumble completely when the 6.4 magnitude struck before dawn Saturday. The quake left 37 confirmed dead, most of them from the apartment complex. There were also some dramatic escapes.

Rescuers told earlier Monday how they took more than 20 hours to free one survivor, 40-year-old Lee Tsong-tian who was trapped by his leg.

He was eventually freed but had to have his leg amputated. The other survivor pulled from the rubble earlier Monday was Tsao Wei-ling, 45, who is in stable condition.

Her husband and two-year-old child were pulled dead from the rubble, officials at the site said. A search was continuing for five other members of her family trapped inside.

City mayor William Lai said survivors and relatives had reported building violations. The island’s President-elect Tsai Ing-wen, who will take office in May, said her government would prioritise building safety.

“There are many old buildings across Taiwan... There should be an overall review of their resistance to earthquakes and other disasters,” she said. Local media reported the company that built the complex had gone out of business.

President Ma Ying-jeou said there was still hope for survivors, even beyond the 72-hour window which ends early Tuesday.