Taiwan earthquake: 115 bodies pulled from rubble of collapsed building

Weiguan Golden Dragon complex toppled when the 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck last Saturday

Rescuers pull a dead body from the wreckage (EPA)

Rescuers have pulled out 115 bodies in the week since a powerful earthquake struck Taiwan's oldest city of Tainan, leaving only two missing in the rubble of a collapsed 17-storey residential complex.

All but two of the dead were found in the ruins of the Weiguan Golden Dragon complex, which toppled when the 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck last Saturday just ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday.

A total of 327 people in the building survived.

According to Taiwan's Interior Ministry, workers recovered scores more bodies on Friday and Saturday, but two are still listed as missing.

Authorities detained the building's developer Lin Ming-hui and two architects this week on suspicion of negligent homicide amid accusations his firm cut corners in the construction.

Tainan city officials said they will inspect several dozen other developments built by Lin, as well as other buildings in the Weiguan compound that did not collapse.

Earthquakes frequently strike Taiwan, but usually cause little or no damage, particularly since more stringent building regulations were introduced following a magnitude-7.6 quake in 1999 that killed more than 2,300.

PA