Taiwan Earthquake Death Toll Rises to 59; 76 Still Missing

The 16-story Weiguan Golden Dragon complex was the only building to collapse during the earthquake in Taiwan.

A wedding portrait recovered from the Taiwan earthquake aftermath. (Photo: AP)

The death toll from a weekend earthquake in Taiwan rose to 59 on Thursday, with 76 people still missing and presumed trapped under the rubble of a collapsed residential building, the Ministry of Interior said.

The 16-story Weiguan Golden Dragon complex was the only building to collapse during Saturday’s magnitude-6.4 earthquake, which otherwise caused limited damage in the southern city of Tainan.

A total of 327 people in the building survived. Rescuers say the chances of finding more survivors are now slim.

Saturday’s quake cut power lines and water mains in Tainan, but only two deaths were reported outside the Weiguan apartment complex.