Taiwan Detains Developers Of Toppled Building
As the search for Taiwan's 6.4 magnitude quake survivors continues, state prosecutors are determined to hold property developers responsible for construction mishaps of the 17-storey high-rise apartment building that collapsed in the worst-hit city of Tainan.
According to a report by CNN, police detained three people who are currently facing charges of "professional negligence resulting in death"- former chairman of the now defunct Weiguan company Lin Ming-hui and two architects and former executives, Chang Kui-an and Cheng Chin-kui.
In an official statement by Tainan City's district prosecutor's office, the aforementioned people have been "detained to prevent collusion or other acts that could disrupt the investigation" according to a report by Fox News.
Also, the detainees were held responsible for the tragedy due to their suspected roles in overseeing the substandard construction of the Weiguan Golden Dragon apartment building back in 1989 as stated in a CBS News article.
Incessant public calls for a thorough safety review of the building are mounting after pictures of oil cans used to fill out pillars to make walls look bigger began to surface, NPR reported. So far, only the Weiguan building collapsed while all other surrounding buildings remained standing.
Meanwhile, time is thinning out in search of remaining survivors as death toll climbs to 40 and counting while more than 100 people remained unaccounted for. As heavy machineries rummage through the rubble, citizens fear that the use of such equipment may endanger the lives of survivors buried beneath the wreckage.
"If there are still people breathing in there and they are harmed now, after surviving for days, that would be the greatest tragedy," said rescue volunteer Mao Jiecheng as quoted by Ameri Publications.
