An earthquake has toppled buildings in the south Taiwanese city of Tainan, killing at least five people, reports BBC.Rescue teams have been trying to reach people trapped in rubble since the magnitude 6.4 quake struck in the early hours of Saturday.
A baby was among the dead when a high-rise residential block collapsed. At least 220 people were rescued.
President Ma Ying-jeou promised an “all-out effort” to rescue people when he arrived in the city.
Shelters would be set up for those who had lost their homes in the city of two million people, he said.
The quake was shallow, meaning its effects would have been amplified, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.There have also been at least five aftershocks.
Television pictures showed rescue workers frantically trying to reach people trapped in collapsed buildings, using ladders to climb over piles of rubble.
Taiwan’s official news agency said at least 23 people had been injured in the multi-storey residential building, where about 200 people were believed to be living in about 60 households.
