After propping himself against a wall for 20 hours to avoid smothering his girlfriend, Ko Ching-chung’s strength was draining away.
The young couple had been trapped in Saturday’s pre-dawn collapse of the Weiguan Jinlong complex in Tainan’s Yongkang District (永康) following a strong earthquake. Outside, rescuers were frantically searching for survivors amid the smashed concrete and twisted iron.
“Toward the end, to tell you the truth, I had already given up,” Ko told broadcaster FTV from his hospital bed on Monday, a day after he and his girlfriend were rescued.
Photo: Hung Jui-chin, Taipei Times
“I had no strength left to hold myself up anymore. My body fell on top of her. She would have soon not been able to breathe. I said to her I had to lie on top of her, and she said to me it’s OK,” he said.
Soon after, rescuers heard her voice and pulled the pair from the rubble, placing them among the more than 300 people who survived the tragedy that had claimed at least 41 lives by yesterday.
At least 100 people remain unaccounted for more than three days after the collapse.
Photo: Sam Yeh, AFP
Ko said his main desire following his rescue was to reunite with his loved ones, especially his mother, who had waited anxiously at the scene.
His mother, whose name was not given, said she shuddered when rescuers told her they could make out only a female voice.
“It was very difficult and horrible, but they continued digging, then they heard his voice,” his mother said. “At that moment, I felt thankful to the gods in heaven and earth and all the blessings that people gave to us.”
Also among the survivors was eight-year-old Lin Su-chin (林素琴), who was rescued on Monday along with her 28-year-old aunt, Chen Mei-jih (陳美日).
Lin had recovered enough yesterday after her 61-hour ordeal to speak a few words to her father and grandparents, mainly to express her wish for her favorite snacks.
“I want to eat gelatin, ice cream — I want to eat so many things,” Lin said.
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