Taiwan city of Tainan hit by 6.4 magnitude earthquake
An earthquake has killed at least seven people in the south Taiwanese city of Tainan, bringing a 16-storey building down and leaving dozens still feared trapped in the rubble.
Some 400 rescue workers are still trying to reach people stuck in the destruction of the wake of the 6.4 magnitude earthquake, which hit the city at 4am local time (8pm GMT).
At least 13 people have been confirmed dead, including a 10-day old baby killed when a tower block collapsed.
“I saw buildings shake up and down and left and right,” a resident of the building said to local news SET, adding:
The first and second floor just collapsed and I smelt gas and water was leaking.
Some 150 people have been hospitalised, but the number of injured is believed to be at least twice that.
Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-Jeou has promised an all-out rescue effort.
“The disaster situation is not very clear yet. We will do our utmost to rescue and secure survivors,” Ma said, promising that shelters would be built for those left homeless by the quake.
Dozens feared dead, hundreds injured after buildings collapse in M6.4 #quake in southern #Taiwan #台南地震 (CTITV image) pic.twitter.com/bvDdevjq5v
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) February 6, 2016
Tremors were felt across Taiwan, even in the capital Taipei, some 200 miles from Tainan.
Taiwan is regularly struck by earthquakes. In 1999, a 7.6 magnitude quake killed over 2,400 people and left 50,000 houses destroyed.