At least 221 people in the city were rescued from damaged structures, many from a 17-story residential building that collapsed in Tainan, officials told CNN. Two bodies were also recovered from the building, officials said.
Taiwan’s official Central News Agency reported earlier that a 10-day-old girl and a 40-year-old man had been killed in Tainan.
More than 150 people in Tainan were hospitalized, disaster officials said.
The collapsed building has 60 apartments and it was unclear how many people were trapped inside, Li Bomin, an official from Tainan City Fire Department, told CNN earlier.
More than 1,500 people are involved in rescue efforts, the disaster center said. Seven other buildings were damaged.
Taiwan’s outgoing President, Ma Ying-jeou, is on his way to the city, CNN affiliate EBC and other Taiwanese media reported.
About 1.9 million people live in Tainan,Taiwan’s oldest city.
As of 5:30 a.m. (4:30 p.m. ET Friday), 121,672 homes and businesses were without power in Tainan
The tremor was centered about 48 kilometers (30 miles) east-southeast of Tainan, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
