Signs of life in Taiwan earthquake rubble

Signs of life in Taiwan earthquake rubble

As many as 130 people are still missing in the rubble of a high-rise apartment block in southern Taiwan.

The building was one of several that collapsed in yesterday's magnitude 6.4 earthquake.

But rescuers have managed to find some signs of life beneath the debris.

It's survival stories giving rescuers the proof and hope there could be more life under the twisted metal and concrete.

Crews working through the night pulled a seven-year-old boy from the rubble – incredible, given the extent of the damage to the 17-storey apartment block.

The shallow, magnitude-6.4 quake hit yesterday just before 4am local time.

More than 200 residents from the apartment block escaped.

As many as 130 people remain missing, while 14 people are confirmed dead.

That number could climb. It's Chinese New Year and many families had relatives staying.

The fact that several buildings collapsed is also unnerving for a Kiwi living in Taipei, the capital of the quake-prone country.

"It was on my mind how many places are there that are a little bit weakened. Like, there is a lot of older building stock," says John Keenan.

There are strict building codes in Taiwan, but questions are being asked why some buildings were literally knocked sideways.

Investigations into safety standards are now underway.

But that's little comfort for rescue crews and families still frantically hunting for signs of life under the rubble.

Newshub.