BREAKING NEWS: 'Hundreds' of people feared trapped in collapsed buildings...(Taiwan)

Daily Mail ^ | 5 Feb 2016 | Flora Drury

[SE Mom]

Completely surreal photos.

[BenLurkin]

No aftershocks yet.

They’re going to want to be well clear of those buildings when the aftershocks come.

[maggief]

Live feed Taiwan TVBS on ongoing rescue operations in collapsed buidlings after earthquake hit S. Tainan and Koshong

https://youtu.be/Bjr2Ya8Yxls

[amorphous]

I just checked the USGS site. It’s kind of unusual that there hasn’t been any aftershocks at all since the big one.

[fella]

Lord have mercy.

4 AM, people at home and asleep.

[huldah1776]

i’m a bit claustrophobic and want to puke.

[Ditter]

Same here. An awful situation.

[amorphous]

Amazing images. Thanks for posting the link.

[TheCipher]

I just checked the USGS site. It’s kind of unusual that there hasn't been any aftershocks at all since the big one.

Was jolted out of bed at 4 AM. Thought the house was going to come down. No damage, though. There was one mild aftershock about 5 minutes later and a very slight one about an hour later. Couldn't get back to sleep with all the sirens and helicopters for the rest of the night.

[TheCipher]

There is no excuse not to build earthquake resistant buildings in this age. Maybe they were older buildings that collapsed.

It was an older building, about 5 minute walk from where I am. People always said if there were a strong earthquake, that would be the first building to come down.

[The_Media_never_lie]

It was an older building, about 5 minute walk from where I am. People always said if there were a strong earthquake, that would be the first building to come down.

I am so sorry and hope there were not many victims.

[texas booster]

What are soil conditions like?

I remember a small quake in Turkey that made us feel like Jello. Was told that it was because the ground used to be marshland and was mostly silt and fill dirt.

[TheCipher]

I think parts of this area used to be like that, mostly rice fields. Not sure of the exact spot where this building was.

[SE Mom]

Many prayers are being said for you all.

Thanks for your updates.

[rmlew]

Wow, I wouldn’t have thought a 6.4 would do that, I figured their buildings would be more sturdy than that.

I don't want to sound racist, but Chinese developers have a sasty habit of utterly ignoring building codes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/921_earthquake#Causes_of_building_collapse_and_public_reaction
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/02/09/with-dozens-dead-and-scores-missing-taiwan-has-questions-and-an-arrest-warrant-for-developer-of-building-that-fell-in-quake/

[Tainan]

Well, first of all this is Taiwan - not China.
2nd - "Building Codes" ? What are those?
For "Building Codes" to be effective it is a requirement to have "Building Code Inspectors" and they must actually know WTF they are doing and have the power to enforce code violation penalties.
NONE of that is happening in Taiwan.

Current death count on this is approx. 116 people dead.

[Tainan]

Almost all of Tainan is built on alluvial sand deposits. Licquifaction of the subsoil is a fact of life here.
Dig down 10 feet and you are in sand and the water table. Most, again, most buildings have a concrete steel reinforced pier base. However, there are numerous short-comings and cheap sh!t ways used to get around this requirement.
Also, there is a real and present danger re:the type of sand used. Beach-sand with salt in it is much cheaper than all soil sand.
However, beach-sand(with salt crystals in it) is much cheaper. Problem is, the salt washes out and leaves the sand/structure weakened.

[TheCipher]

For "Building Codes" to be effective it is a requirement to have "Building Code Inspectors"

And ones that won't take bribes .

[TheCipher]

Dig down 10 feet and you are in sand and the water table.

My wife was telling me the spot where that building was built used to be a shallow pond. She played there as a kid.