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Six dangerous buildings in Tainan being torn down

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A total of 63 buildings in the country had been declared as damaged by the quake to an extensive degree. One of the most dangerous ones was a 10-story...

Six dangerous buildings in Tainan being torn down

A total of 63 buildings in the country had been declared as damaged by the quake to an extensive degree. One of the most dangerous ones was a 10-story...

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The authorities in Tainan City hoped that the demolition of six out of 63 buildings described as dangerous following the earthquake would be completed by February 15, reports said Saturday.
The 6.4-magnitude tremor on February 6 caused 115 fatalities recorded by Saturday noon, with two people still missing, and dozens of buildings damaged.
A total of 63 buildings in the city had been slapped with a “red label,” indicating they were so severely damaged they were unfit for usage unless they underwent structural strengthening, or they might have to be razed to the ground. A further 61 buildings in Tainan received a “yellow label,” which meant they could only be used again after a thorough review by experts.
One of the most dangerous ones was a 10-story building housing a branch of the King’s Town Bank in Tainan’s Hsinhua District. Work to tear it down had already started because it was listing by more than 20 degrees, endangering nearby buildings as well, reports said.
Tainan City Mayor William Lai visited the scene Saturday, reportedly saying that the work to demolish the bank tower should be completed by the end of Sunday. More than 30 residents of the apartments above the bank had been rescued safely in the first hours after the quake struck, in the early hours of Saturday February 6.
The bank ordered in the demolition teams, which arrived the next morning, reports said. CPC Corporation, Taiwan, removed oil products from its gas station on one side of the building.
Another five buildings in Tainan were also in the process of being torn down at the moment despite the Lunar New Year holiday, reports said.
The developer behind the Weiguan Jinlong, Lin Ming-hui, was believed to have built at least two other major projects in the area, leading to a closer watch by the authorities on their quality.