Quake kills five as it rattles the nation

Mon, Apr 01, 2002 page1

Quake kills five as it rattles the nation

DEADLY TEMBLOR Two cranes building what is expected to be the world's tallest skyscraper fell from 56 stories high in yesterday's quake, which measured 6.8 on the Richter scale, killing five
- By Tsai Ting-i and Jimmy Chuang / STAFF REPORTERS
Lin Hong-ching (林宏清) and Chu Su-li (朱素里) were faced with a life-and-death decision.
Stay inside their Mazda, where they had been waiting for the light to change at the intersection of Hsinyi and Sungchih Roads, or make a break for it.

Rescue workers converge upon a building on Taipei's Chengte Road, which collapsed during yesterday's earthquake. Seven residents were trapped and were quickly rescued.

PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES

"We were struggling to decide whether or not to leave," the 29-year-old Lin said. "Bricks kept falling, so we decided to stay put."

Two cars lie flattened under a crane that fell from the Taipei Financial Center during yesterday's quake. The driver of the cab, right, was seriously hurt.

PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES

The couple survived, but just barely.
Yesterday's quake, which measured 6.8 on the Richter scale, shook loose two massive construction cranes perched atop the 56th floor of what is to be a 101-story skyscraper, the Taipei Financial Center.

In this series of photos, clockwise from left, a crane from the Taipei Financial Center falls to the ground during yesterday's earthquake, killing five construction workers.

PHOTOS: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES

The cranes plummeted to the ground below, smashing into several cars -- including Lin and Chu's.
But while the couple survived with barely a scratch, the taxi cab just one car ahead of them didn't appear so lucky.
"When I saw the taxi get hit, I knew right away he was killed," Lin said.
The cab driver made it through, though he was seriously hurt. According to police reports, an officer pulled Lu Qiou-long (盧秋隆) from his crushed cab and the driver was taken to Taipei Medical University Hospital.
Lu's condition was unknown as of press time yesterday.
Five construction workers were not so fortunate. They were building what is expected to be the world's tallest skyscraper when they died yesterday. One of the workers was operating a crane when the quake struck at 2:52pm.
Lin said he saw at least one construction worker fall from the building.
That worker was believed to be Chen Jin-shuei (陳錦水), who was on the 48th or 49th floor and struck by one of the cranes as it fell.
Chen showed no signs of life when he was taken to the hospital. Doctors at Taipei Medical University were unable to save him.
Chen was one among 20 construction workers and passers-by at the site of the Taipei Financial Center that were taken to Taipei Medical University.
Government officials yesterday ordered construction on the 101-story building stopped, pending further safety checks.
Financial backers of the building said yesterday's quake didn't harm the skyscraper's structure and work would resume after safety inspections are performed.
The skyscraper is being built by the China Development Financial Holding Corp, the Koo's Group, the Linden Group, Shinkong Group and Hung Kuo Group.
Elsewhere in Taipei, a four-story apartment building on Chengte Road partially collapsed, leaning dangerously toward the street.
Seven residents were trapped and were quickly rescued. They were taken to Mackay Memorial Hospital and their injuries weren't said to be serious.
On the first floor of the building is a motor repair shop. The four-story building will be completely torn down within three days.
In Taipei County, reports said that more than 100 residents whose houses were declared too dangerous to live in after the quake were evacuated to a temporary shelter.
In all, more than 220 people nationwide reported injuries, most of them minor, according to the Cabinet.
The Central Weather Bureau said the quake's epicenter was located 44.3km east of Hualien City and 9.6km below the surface.
In Taipei the temblor registered 5 on the Richter scale. In Taichung it was 3, Chiayi 4, Taitung 3 and Tainan 2.
Most of the damage was limited to the Taipei metropolitan area. Nantou County -- which bore the brunt of the 921 earthquake in 1999, in which nearly 2,400 people died -- was spared.
Bricks falling onto the Central Cross-Island Highway hurt an 8-year old child, who was sitting in a car with his parents. The child's parents took him to the Tz'u Chi Buddhist General Hospital, where he was listed in serious condition last night.
The Su-hwa Highway connecting Suao and Hualien was closed yesterday afternoon due to falling bricks.
Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday said that today would be a normal work day for city residents.
The city government's rescue center said the MRT resumed service at 5pm yesterday, but the Mucha line between Linkuang Station and Chungshan Junior High School Station would remain down until this morning.
In addition, the rescue center urged Taipei motorists not to illegally park on overpasses or expressways.
President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) appealed for calm while attending worship services at the Yi-kwang Church in Taipei yesterday.
He instructed Premier Yu Shyi-kun to lead the rescue operations.
"I hope that everybody is safe with their family members at home," Chen said.
Yu said that everything was under control and the government would keep the public up to date on rescue efforts.
"I'm sorry for this natural disaster, which we could not avoid," Yu said. "I'm pretty glad that our rescue crews could react quickly, even though the earthquake occurred during a weekend.
"The government will continue working hard and do whatever it takes to reduce the damage of a natural disaster like this in the future."
The Cabinet-level Council of Agriculture said the quake didn't do much damage to the nation's crops, but an emergency center was on stand-by if necessary.
Admiral Li Chieh (李傑), chief of the general staff, said 230 soldiers from the military police were ready to join rescue efforts if needed.
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