《TAIPEI TIMES 焦點》 Tensions rise over progress of rescue work

By Stacy Hsu / Staff reporter, with agencies

Anxious families of the missing believed to be still buried under the debris of a collapsed building in Tainan’s Yongkang District （永康） yesterday voiced their concern over the progress of operations to find more survivors.

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Three more bodies were extricated yesterday from the 17-story Weiguan Jinlong apartment complex, which was toppled by Saturday’s magnitude 6.4 earthquake.

It brought the total death toll from the quake to 41, from 38 on Monday. At least 100 people remain unaccounted for.

A four-year-old boy, Wu Yun-ching （吳昀璟）, and his 27-year-old mother, Lai Hui-shan （賴惠珊）, were found trapped in a crawlspace on the 16th floor of the complex’s F section, with Lai holding her son in her arms.

Emergency workers had previously detected traces of life in the area, but the two died before rescuers were able to reach them at about 1:40am yesterday after 20 hours of digging.

Lai’s body was taken out first, but some rescuers at the scene shouted: “Let them go together.” Their bodies were then placed in an ambulance together and taken to a funeral parlor.

Later in the day, rescuers found another male body on the 16th floor of the complex’s G section. He was later identified as 15-year-old Lai Po-an （賴柏安） by his second-eldest sister, Lai Kuan-jung （賴冠戎）.

Lai Kuan-jung, who was in Taichung when the earthquake struck, is the only surviving member of the family. Her parents and two sisters were killed in the quake.

“I just hope that my parents can take care of my younger brother,” Lai Kuan-jung said.

As anxiety grew at the disaster site as rescue operations entered a fourth day, disputes broke out during a briefing presided over by Tainan Mayor William Lai （賴清德） between people whose relatives were still buried under the rubble.

Some of them urged Lai to continue bringing in heavy machinery, such as excavators with shears, to expedite rescue efforts, while others argued that doing so could put the lives of other possible survivors at risk.

“[I] protest,” a man shouted. “Rescuers tried to dig into your two apartments throughout the entire night [on Monday], but nothing has been done on my side of the building.”

“Since you said there are still more than 100 people buried under the debris, then you should figure out ways to dig faster... If you speed up your rescue efforts, there is still a chance of finding more survivors,” another person said.

Lai apologized to the crowd for a lack of communication on his part, saying that rescue work is continuing.

“Bringing in excavators with shears does not mean we have given up hopes of rescuing people still trapped inside the collapsed complex... They have been deployed to make more room for rescuers to go in deeper,” Lai said.

Beginning at 7am yesterday, several excavators with shears have been deployed to remove large pieces of rubble.

The Tainan City Government also announced that it would hold two public briefings each day — at 10am and 4pm — in an effort to update concerned people on the latest rescue developments.

Separately yesterday, Chi Mei Hospital Emergency Department director Hsu Chien-chin （許建清） said that 45-year-old Tsao Wei-ling （曹瑋瓴）, who was pulled out from the debris on Monday, would not require an amputation of her right hand.

“Tsao’s condition has stabilized after we performed surgery on her right palm to alleviate the pressure,” Hsu said.

Hsu said improvement has also been seen in the condition of eight-year-old Lin Su-chin （林素琴）, who suffered rhabdomyolysis — the breakdown of muscle tissue resulting in the release of muscle fiber into the blood — after being rescued on Monday evening.

“Lin has been saying she is thirsty and wants to have a Slurpee, but she needs to fast at the moment,” Hsu said.

As for 40-year-old Lee Tsung-tien （李宗典）, whose left leg was amputated hours after being saved on Monday, National Cheng Kung University Hospital spokesman Hung Chung-jye （洪崇傑） said doctors have yet to determine whether his right hand and leg would also require amputation.

Hung said as Lee was reportedly speaking incoherently after being freed from rubble, the hospital would have a psychologist evaluate his condition and determine whether he is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES