Taiwanese rescuers braved powerful aftershocks to search for survivors in a dangerously leaning apartment block that was partially toppled by a quake, locating two more bodies early today to bring the death toll to nine as dozens remain missing.
A 6.4-magnitude quake hit the popular eastern tourist city of Hualien late Tuesday, leaving a handful of buildings badly damaged -- some of them leaning at terrifying angles -- as well as roads torn up and hundreds sheltering in local schools and a stadium.
The major focus for emergency responders remained the Yun Tsui apartment block where the majority of the deaths occurred and dozens are still missing.
The lower floors of the 12-storey tower -- which also housed a hotel -- pancaked, leaving the structure leaning at a fifty-degree angle and sparking fears of an imminent collapse.
Despite those risks rescuers kept going into the building throughout last night morning in a desperate search for survivors.
Strong aftershocks coursed through the ground sending rescue teams running from the building, only for them to return a little while later and resume their grim task.
One aftershock shortly before midnight measured 5.7- magnitude.
Chu Che-min, the Hualien fire department's rescue team leader at the scene, told AFP they located two more bodies overnight.
"We discovered the body of a Chinese woman at the hotel in Yun Tsui (building) earlier this morning and located another person who's a hotel staffer," he said.
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