Tunghsing building rescue teams add ten to death toll

As the rescue team began clearing debris from the top of the Tunghsing building -- replacing the former method of digging from side to side -- it was decided that they should also use larger power shovels to increase productivity and speed. The new strategy was likely a factor in uncovering ten more bodies yesterday in the wreckage of Taipei's Tunghsing building (東星大樓) on Pateh Road.

It was the fourth day of rescue work after the 12-story building collapsed. Families and friends of those trapped in the wreckage retain little hope that they will be found alive. More emergency settlement services, funeral services and trauma treatment counseling has been offered by the Taipei City Government.

So far, 105 people have been rescued, 28 are dead and 50 remain trapped in the rubble.

At 7:10 am, the body of a 16- year-old girl, Lin Tzu-yu (林姿瑜), was found.

Her mother, one of the injured who was rescued five hours after the collapse, had been sitting in a wheelchair waiting for the return of her daughter. At the beginning of this year's Mid-Autumn Festival -- a day for family reunions -- this mother instead received the sad news of her daughter's death.

With the new rescue strategy in place, three workers used the power shovels beginning early yesterday to peel off the upper part of the building. By 1:32 pm the seventh body had been discovered, and the rescuers took a break. During this time a rescuer acted as spokesman to communicate with the relatives about the progress being made. He explained the slow process in uncovering the bodies that had been discovered, saying that had to be separated from furniture and other debris.

"It took us some time to separate them from the materials," he said.

Many relatives and friends suffered from sunstroke after waiting for long periods in the severe heat. A religious group, Buddha Light's International Association, provided traditional Chinese medical treatment. Blind volunteers from Taipei City Government's Bureau of Social Affairs helped those suffering from fatigue and depression by giving massages.

One relative of a trapped resident said he had been waiting there for two days.

Five people in the family of his brother were still buried under the shattered building, he said.

He said: "The building must have been jerry-built by the developer! We still think the remodeling work on the ground floor is partly responsible for the collapse."

Later in the evening, two more bodies were pulled out.

They were Wang Ching-shun (王慶順) and Su Chun-chun (蘇純純), a couple who lived on the fourth floor.

Victims and residents of the Tunghsing building formed a committee to collectively handle funeral expenses and future compensation.

Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said yesterday afternoon that the government would provide more services for citizens victimized from the earthquake.

Those whose houses or apartments collapsed would be offered NT$200,000 subsidies and also given top priority for renting public housing.

Each death would be compensated NT$500,000.

As for citizens whose houses were found to be "dangerous" by the government and were evacuated from their buildings, an additional rental subsidy of NT$30,000 would also be provided.

So far, the government has received 440 cases reported from citizens suspecting the soundness of their building structure.