Taiwan earthquake death toll rises to 59; 76 still missing
Rescue teams continue to use heavy excavation machinery to dig through the rubble of a collapsed building complex in Tainan, Taiwan, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016. The death toll has risen to 59. AP Photo/Johnson Lai
TAINAN, Taiwan — Taiwan’s Ministry of Interior says the death toll from a weekend earthquake has risen to 59, with 76 people still missing and presumed trapped under the rubble of a collapsed residential building.
The 16-story Weiguan Golden Dragon complex was the only building to collapse during Saturday’s magnitude-6.4 earthquake, which otherwise caused limited damage in the southern city of Tainan.
Government prosecutors have detained three construction company executives on suspicion of professional negligence resulting in death amid accusations that the structure, built in 1989, was not properly reinforced.
A total of 327 people in the building survived. Rescuers say the chances of finding more survivors are now slim.
