At least five dead, 30 trapped after Taiwan quake topples building

At least five died and more than 30 were trapped after a powerful earthquake in Taiwan felled a 16 storey apartment complex full of families who had gathered for Lunar New Year celebrations.

The 6.4-magnitude quake struck in the middle of the night on Saturday and in the dawn it was revealed the destruction left behind in the city of Tainan, which bore the brunt of the damage, reports Dawn.

An entire residential complex containing almost 100 homes toppled to the ground, lying on its side with twisted metal girders exposed.

National Fire Agency officials said that a 10-day old baby girl and a 40-year-old man were pulled dead from the buildings and futher reported that around 30 more were still trapped inside.

Interior minister Chen Wei-jen said that exactly how many people were there when the quake hit was not immediately clear.