Mourning Ceremony Held for Taiwan Quake Victims, Death Toll at 89

TAINAN, TAIWAN - FEB. 12: A ceremony was held in Tainan on Friday to remember the people who died in a powerful earthquake that struck southern Taiwan on Feb. 6, killing at least 89 people and injuring hundreds. Friday was the seventh day since the magnitude 6.4 quake hit in the predawn hours. Taiwanese believe that the soul of the deceased will return to their home on the seventh day of their death. Rescuers pulled 22 more bodies from the rubble of the Weiguan Jinlong apartment complex Friday morning, raising the death toll at the structure to 87. Two victims died elsewhere. In addition to this apartment complex, which had 16 floors above ground and one basement floor, the quake toppled a number of other buildings in Tainan, a city of some 1.9 million people. Some structures were left tilting noticeably. Three former executives of a company that constructed the Weiguan Jinlong complex have been detained on suspicion of professional negligence resulting in death. Prosecutors suspect that shoddy construction work may be behind the collapse, as empty tin cans were found packed inside the concrete walls of the 23-year-old building. Rescuers continued their operations at the complex in the rain Friday, with around 35 people remaining unaccounted for. The quake left more than 550 people injured. Rescue officials said more than 200 people were rescued from the complex, and about 90 people are still being treated at hospitals.
TAINAN, TAIWAN - FEB. 12: A ceremony was held in Tainan on Friday to remember the people who died in a powerful earthquake that struck southern Taiwan on Feb. 6, killing at least 89 people and injuring hundreds. Friday was the seventh day since the magnitude 6.4 quake hit in the predawn hours. Taiwanese believe that the soul of the deceased will return to their home on the seventh day of their death. Rescuers pulled 22 more bodies from the rubble of the Weiguan Jinlong apartment complex Friday morning, raising the death toll at the structure to 87. Two victims died elsewhere. In addition to this apartment complex, which had 16 floors above ground and one basement floor, the quake toppled a number of other buildings in Tainan, a city of some 1.9 million people. Some structures were left tilting noticeably. Three former executives of a company that constructed the Weiguan Jinlong complex have been detained on suspicion of professional negligence resulting in death. Prosecutors suspect that shoddy construction work may be behind the collapse, as empty tin cans were found packed inside the concrete walls of the 23-year-old building. Rescuers continued their operations at the complex in the rain Friday, with around 35 people remaining unaccounted for. The quake left more than 550 people injured. Rescue officials said more than 200 people were rescued from the complex, and about 90 people are still being treated at hospitals.
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Editorial #:
509988444
Collection:
Kyodo News
Date created:
February 12, 2016
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Clip length:
00:01:54:18
Location:
Tainan, Taiwan
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QuickTime 8-bit Photo-JPEG HD 1920x1080 29.97p
Source:
Kyodo News
Object name:
16-02-12-1-1.mov