TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Workers on Wednesday (April 17) completed the tearing down of the Uranus Building in Hualien City, two weeks after a magnitude 7.2 earthquake caused it to tilt dangerously, sending residents fleeing into the streets.
One of the 17 deaths reported nationwide after the quake was a teacher surnamed Kang (康) living at the Uranus Building who went back inside to find her cat. She was trapped and killed by an aftershock shortly acter.
Demolition work on the 10-story building began on April 5 but was halted several times as more than 800 aftershocks jolted the region and increased the angle at which the structure tilted forward.
After members of the public spotted cats emerging from the structure, rescue actions were launched involving workers ascending to the roof to catch the animals. Chickens kept by a resident on the top of the building were also removed safely.
After finishing work Wednesday morning, members of the demolition team lined up their heavy machinery and took their hats off to pay their respects to Kang, per CNA. The county government said it would restore power and running water to nearby homes and businesses later in the day.
Road signalization would also be completed before adjacent roads were scheduled to reopen for traffic Friday (April 19). Work was still continuing on the demolition of two other unsafe buildings in the city, officials said.