Bodies of 2 mainland victims in Taiwan earthquake uncovered

TAIPEI - The bodies of two Chinese mainland tourists who died in a powerful earthquake in Taiwan's Hualien County were uncovered and removed from the ruins of a collapsed building Sunday.

According to the county's fire authority, the two victims were an elderly couple who were covered by the beams of a 12-story building that tilted after the earthquake, with the first four floors severely compressed.

It took 14 days for the rescuers to dismantle the building from the top to retrieve the bodies. The relatives of the couple are scheduled to arrive at Hualien on Monday.

The 6.5-magnitude earthquake jolted Hualien on Feb 6, claiming 17 lives, including nine from the mainland, five from Taiwan, one from the Philippines and two from Canada. About 290 people were injured.

It was the most severe earthquake to hit Hualien in 67 years, said Fu Kun-Chi, head of Hualien county.

The two bodies have been sent to the local funeral house.