China
21:15, 25-Feb-2018
Bodies of two mainland victims in Taiwan earthquake recovered
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The bodies of two Chinese mainland tourists who died in a powerful earthquake in Taiwan on Feb. 6 were removed from the ruins of a collapsed building on Sunday, authorities said.
According to Hualien County's fire authority, the two victims were an elderly couple who were covered by the beams of a 12-story building that tilted after the earthquake, with the first four floors severely compressed.
It took 14 days for the rescuers to dismantle the building from the top to retrieve the bodies. The relatives of the couple are scheduled to arrive in Hualien on Monday.
The 6.5-magnitude earthquake claimed 17 lives, including nine from the mainland, five from Taiwan, one from the Philippines and two from Canada. About 290 people were injured.
It was the most severe earthquake to hit Hualien in 67 years, said Fu Kun-Chi, head of the county.
The two bodies have been sent to the local funeral home.
Source(s): Xinhua News Agency