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Taiwan earthquake: Outrage after tin cans used to hold up collapsed high-rise

A high-rise building in Taiwan that collapsed during an earthquake on the weekend has been reinforced with tin cans.

BBC footage of the rubble shows the 17-storey Weiguan Jinlong building in Tainan City, with blue and white cooking oil tins packed into its walls.

More than 30 people were tragically killed when the structure collapsed.

Dozens remain trapped and at least 500 people were injured when the building collapsed following the 6.4 magnitude quake.

The quake hit at 4am local time when most of the buildings residents were asleep.

Other surrounding buildings were unscathed, sparking an investigation into why the high-rise collapsed.

Tainan Mayor William Lai said survivors and relatives had reported legal violations but gave no further details.

"I've contacted judicial units and prosecutors have formally launched an investigation,” Mr Lai said.

"We've also commissioned three independent bodies to preserve evidence during the rescue so we can assist the residents if they want to file lawsuits in the future. We will hold the builder responsible if they have broken the law."

A 20-year-old man was freed from the ruins after emergency workers spent eight hours digging him out.

Several children were among those killed in the building collapse.

Chen Yu-mei said her three-month-old son was trapped inside with her sister's family.

"He's a small child, I'm worried sick," she told AFP.

EARLIER: Rescuers raced Sunday to free more than 120 people buried under the rubble of an apartment complex felled by an earthquake in southern Taiwan that left 29 confirmed dead, as an investigation began into the collapse.

The death toll rose as emergency workers dug for survivors of the 6.4-magnitude quake that toppled the 16-storey complex of almost 100 homes in the city of Tainan on Saturday.

A six-month-old baby girl was pulled alive from the rubble but she later died in hospital.

Officials said an investigation had been launched as questions were raised over the safety of the residential blocks in the complex.

Tainan mayor William Lai said survivors and relatives had reported legal "violations" but gave no further detail.

Photo: AP
Photo: AP

"I've contacted judicial units and prosecutors have formally launched an investigation," said Lai.

"We've also commissioned three independent bodies to preserve evidence during the rescue so we can assist the residents if they want to file lawsuits in the future. We will hold the builder responsible if they have broken the law."

Local media reported the construction company that built the complex had gone out of business and also raised questions over the quality of the materials used.

Photo: AP
Photo: AP

Yueh Chin-sen, whose mother-in-law's family of eight is still trapped, said the residents had complained of defects in the building.

"They complained that the building wasn't well constructed as there were cracks in the walls and tiles fell off after several quakes in recent years," he told AFP.



"I hope the government will prosecute the builder on criminal charges as people lost their lives."

Rescuers said 122 residents were still missing, with 103 of them trapped "very deep" in the rubble, according to Lai.

"There's no way to get to them direct, it's very difficult," Lai said, adding that emergency workers were having to shore up the ruins to ensure they were secure before digging.

Photo: AP
Photo: AP

Several survivors were pulled from the rubble Sunday, more than 24 hours after the quake struck, as rescuers used life detectors in their desperate search.
One 20-year-old man was freed from the ruins after emergency workers spent eight hours carefully digging him out.