Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

Earthquake Strikes Taiwan

Aired April 01, 2002 - 05:32   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Two moderate tremors shook eastern Taiwan today, a day after a powerful earthquake killed five construction workers at a high-rise building. Today's quakes were among more than 100 aftershocks.

Jason Blatt (ph) of Taiwan's TVBS reports that crews have managed to rescue dozens of people who were trapped inside collapsed buildings.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON BLATT (ph), TVBS REPORTER (voice-over) : The quake hit Taiwan at 2:52 PM local time on Sunday afternoon, when most people were either at home or out enjoying the weekend holiday. It was centered in the ocean, 44 kilometers east of Polean (ph) off the island's eastern coast, but seismologists said the tremor was felt strongest in Taipei due to geological factors.

In Taipei, objects flew off the shelves as the shaking continued for nearly a minute. People said they felt up and down, as well as side to side shaking sensations, bringing back terrifying memories of a 1989 quake that killed about 2,400 people. Just blocks from City Hall in eastern Taipei, crowds who fluttered out of movie theaters and a department store watched in horror as two cranes and a skyscraper still under construction fell 52 stories to the ground below. In fact, two crewmen, who went down with the crane, and another two people were killed and 19 injured when the crane smashed into cars in the street below. Sniffer dogs were brought in to look for more victims.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I can't even stand still. The structures were shaking and making a lot of noise. I'm thankful I'm alive. There were workers on every floor.

BLATT (ph): Across town, a five-story residential building collapsed, leaving only three stories above ground. But rescue crews managed to pull seven people out of the building, saying it was a miracle they had survived. Meanwhile, reports of fires and broken water pipes were also widespread. As over 100 aftershocks continued to rock northern Taiwan throughout the day, Premier Yu Shyi-kun has ordered Taiwan's armed forces to assist in rescue and cleanup efforts.

Jason Blatt (ph), TVBS Taiwan, for CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com