TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Three construction workers have been declared dead after a house collapsed on them in Taichung City on Thursday (March 30).
The Taichung City Fire Bureau received a report at 10: 44 a.m. that morning, that an old, two-story home had collapsed at Lane 299, Taiwan Boulevard in Taichung City's Central District, trapping three construction workers, reported ETtoday. The bureau immediately dispatched personnel to rescue the trapped workers.
(CNA photo)
The bureau pointed out that work was being carried out on a 70-year-old house. However, it is suspected that while an excavator dug around the foundation of the house, it led to the instability of the two-story home next door, and it collapsed, instantly trapping three workers.
After firefighters arrived at the scene, they were first able to reach a 51-year-old man surnamed Tsai (蔡), but he did not have any vital signs and was declared dead after being sent to a hospital for emergency medical treatment.
(CNA photo)
At 3:34 p.m. on Thursday, Chen (陳) was discovered with his head exposed, but his body was still trapped in the rubble. At 8:18 p.m., a third worker surnamed Wu (吳) was found with his feet exposed.
Rescue workers were able to pluck Wu from the rubble at around 10 p.m., but he was confirmed to have died. At 1:24 a.m. on Friday, Chen was finally freed from the debris but had died.
(CNA photo)
So far, it has been determined that three workers have died as a result of the building's collapse and an investigation has been launched. The builder surnamed Ku (古) and the excavator driver surnamed Yu (游) have both been sent to the district prosecutor's office to be investigated for negligent homicide (過失致死罪).
(CNA photo)
(CNA photo)
