More than 120 rescued from toppled high-rise after strong quake hits Taiwan

Rescuers are seen entering an office building that collapsed on its side from an early morning earthquake in Tainan, southern Taiwan on Saturday, Feb. 6, 2016. A 6.4-magnitude earthquake has struck southern Taiwan, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Rescuers are seen entering an office building that collapsed on its side from an early morning earthquake in Tainan, southern Taiwan on Saturday, Feb. 6, 2016. A 6.4-magnitude earthquake has struck southern Taiwan, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

TAIPEI, Taiwan — A 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck southern Taiwan early Saturday, toppling at least one high-rise residential building and trapping people inside. Firefighters rushed to pull out survivors.

Taiwan's official news agency says rescuers have pulled out more than 120 people from the 16-story residential high-rise that collapsed.

An unknown number are still trapped. The Central News Agency said about 200 people are believed to be inside the Wei Guan building in southern Tainan city when the quake struck at 4 .a.m.

Firefighters scrambled to the site with ladders, cranes and other equipment and pulled survivors from the building in the southern city of Tainan, footage from local TV broadcasters showed. I.

The Taiwanese news website ET Today reported that two buildings toppled in Tainan, and that some water and gas utility pipes had ruptured. Sirens were wailing as city authorities responded to the quake, the news website said.

The temblor was located some 22 miles southeast of Yujing, and struck about 6 miles, underground, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

It was felt as a lengthy, rolling shake in the capital, Taipei, on the other side of the island. But Taipei was quiet, with no sense of emergency or obvious damage just before dawn.

Read Friday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

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