The Latest: Facebook activates 'safety check' for Taiwan

The Latest: Facebook activates 'safety check' for Taiwan


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TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — The Latest on a 6.4-magnitude earthquake in southern Taiwan (all times local):

12:45 p.m.

Facebook has activated its "safety check" feature for Taiwan that allows users to let their friends and loved ones know they're safe.

Facebook chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg says in a posting, "My thoughts are with everyone in Taiwan and across our global community affected by this disaster."

The link is available at https://www.facebook.com/safetycheck/taiwanearthquake-feb02-2016

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11:25 a.m.

The Tainan city emergency response center says the death toll in Saturday's 6.4-magnitude quake has risen to five.

The center still lists 155 people as injured, but the news website ET Today is reporting the number has climbed to 318 people hospitalized.

ET Today is also reporting that Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou has arrived in Tainan on Saturday morning and asked rescuers to make all-out efforts.

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11:15 a.m.

China has offered assistance to Taiwan following a 6.4-magnitude quake that killed at least three people and injured more than 150 in the south of the self-ruled island.

According to China's office handling relations with Taiwan, mainland officials have been in touch with their Taiwanese counterparts since shortly after the quake hit the southern city of Tainan.

China sent a letter offering rescue assistance if needed, and expressed condolences to those who suffered in the quake.

China considers Taiwan a renegade province.

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9:15 a.m.

Authorities in the southern Taiwanese city of Tainan say three people — including a 10-day-old — have been killed and 154 hospitalized following a shallow 6.4-magnitude earthquake.

Firefighters and soldiers scrambled to the site of two collapsed residential high-rises with ladders, cranes and other equipment and extracted 221 people from the rubble.

Taiwan's official news agency says the infant and a 40-year-old man were pulled out of a 17-story Wei Guan residential building and were later declared dead. The agency says 256 people were believed to have been living in 92 households.

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8:40 a.m.

Authorities in the southern Taiwanese city of Tainan say rescuers have pulled out 221 people from rubble following a 6.4-magnitude earthquake. More are still reported trapped in at least two collapsed residential high-rises.

The Tainan city government says 115 have been hospitalized. It says two people suffered heart attack.

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7:47 a.m.

Taiwan's official news agency says 34 people were pulled from a 16-story residential high rise that collapsed in Tainan in a 6.4-magnitude earthquake that hit southern Taiwan just before 4 a.m. Saturday.

It says rescuers also pulled out 127 people from the 17-story Wei Guan Golden Dragon building. It says two people — a 10-day-old infant and a 40-year-old man were found in critical conditions.

It says 56 people were evacuated from a vegetables market.

An unknown number are still trapped.

Several other buildings are also collapsed or partially damaged.

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7:25 a.m.

Taiwan EBC TV station is broadcasting live images of firefighters pulling out stunned and dazzled survivors from a collapsed high-rise in the south of the island following a 6.4-magnitude earthquake.

The temblor struck about 4 a.m. local time Saturday (2000 GMT Friday). It was located some 22 miles (36 kilometers) southeast of Yujing, and struck about 6 miles (10 kilometers) underground.

Aerial views of the collapsed building showed cranes and ladders around the toppled structure. White dust is rising from site and a helicopter hovering overhead. The damage to the building appears extensive, with blocks of concrete and entire floors brought down by the force of the quake.

Military personnel also are taking part in the rescue.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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