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Indonesia vows to lend support to Taiwan quake victims

There were no reports of Indonesian victims following a deadly earthquake that destroyed a high-rise apartment in Taiwan on Saturday

Anggi M. Lubis (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Tue, February 9, 2016

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Indonesia vows to lend support to Taiwan quake victims

T

here were no reports of Indonesian victims following a deadly earthquake that destroyed a high-rise apartment in Taiwan on Saturday. However, Indonesian officials have vowed to help in the recovery effort.

An emergency center has been set up in Tainan, the most impacted city, to provide information and assistance to Indonesians who may have been affected by the quake.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arrmanatha Nasir said that the office, in coordination with local authorities, would continue to closely monitor the situation and would not cease operations until the last area suspected to hold victims was cleared.

'€œThe office has combed hospitals that tended to victims of the earthquake, and no fatalities or serious injuries were reported. Although they said some Indonesians were spotted visiting the hospitals, they did not record patients with minor injuries as they were soon discharged,'€ Arrmanatha told The Jakarta Post on Monday, adding that the emergency post was not directly involved with search and rescue teams.

The Foreign Ministry previously stated that representatives of the Indonesian trade and economic office had combed Chimei Tainan Hospital, National Cheng Kung University Hospital and Sin-Lau Christian Hospital.

Arrmanatha said local authorities had yet to request specific assistance from Indonesia but that the country was ready to offer help at any time.

Indonesia, which is only involved in non-governmental economic and trade relations with Taiwan, has no diplomatic representatives in the country as part of its support for the One China Policy.

According to a ministry statement, it is estimated that around 230,000 Indonesians are based in Taiwan, including around 17,000 in Tainan. Most of them reside in the country as workers or students.

The deadly 6.4-magnitude quake hit Taiwan at 4 a.m. on Saturday, at the beginning of celebrations for the Lunar New Year holiday.

Meanwhile, rescuers pulled out alive an 8-year-old girl and her aunt from the rubble of a Taiwan apartment block on Monday, more than 60 hours after it was toppled by the quake. The girl, named as Lin Su-Chin, was conscious and had been taken to hospital, Taiwan television stations said. Her aunt, Chen Mei-jih, was rescued shortly after.

Earlier, Wang Ting-yu, a legislator who represents the area, told reporters that a woman, identified as Tsao Wei-ling, was found alive, lying under her dead husband. Their 2-year-old son, who was also killed, was found nearby.

Another survivor, a man named Li Tsung-tian, was pulled out later, with Taiwan television stations showing live images of the rescues. Several hours later, Li'€™s girlfriend was found dead in the rubble.

Tsao and Li were both being treated in hospital.

Outgoing President Ma Ying-jeou, speaking to reporters at a Tainan hospital, said the government needed to do a better job in ensuring building quality.

'€œIn the near future, regarding building management, we will have some further improvements. We will definitely do this work well,'€ Ma said.

Reuters witnesses at the scene of the collapse saw large rectangular, commercial cans of cooking oil packed inside wall cavities exposed by the damage, apparently having been used as building material.

Chinese President Xi Jinping also conveyed condolences to the victims, state news agency Xinhua reported late on Sunday, and repeated Beijing'€™s offer to provide help.

The number of fatalities had reached 38 as of Monday afternoon according to media reports. Thirty-six of the victims were from the toppled Wei-guan Golden Dragon Building in Tainan and two other people died elsewhere in the city, according to Reuters.

A report citing Tainan authorities said more than 170 people had been rescued from the 17-story building, which collapsed after the quake struck.

The spectacular fall of the high-rise, built in 1994, raised questions about whether its construction had been up to standard. Tainan'€™s government said the building had not been listed as a dangerous structure, and Taiwan'€™s interior minister, Chen Wei-zen, said an investigation would examine whether its developer had cut corners.

Earthquakes frequently rattle Taiwan, but most are minor and cause little or no damage. However, a magnitude-7.6 quake in central Taiwan in 1999 killed more than 2,300 people.

The extended Lunar New Year holiday officially started on Monday, but celebrations were subdued and both President Ma Ying-jeou and president-elect Tsai Ing-wen canceled the handing out of angpao (envelopes containing money) in their hometowns, a holiday tradition for Taiwan'€™s leader.

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