Three executives from a Taiwanese construction company have been detained on charges of professional negligence that resulted into the death of dozens after the collapse of an apartment building.
The prosecutor's office in Tainan City said in a statement on Wednesday, Feb. 10, that Lin Ming-hui and architects Cheng Chin-kui and Chang Kui-an were suspected of having overseen poor construction of the 17-storey Weiguan Golden Dragon building, which collapsed on Saturday after an earthquake, according to Aljazeera America.
The three were held to avoid collusion or other acts that could mar the investigation. Among the allegations was that only half as many fasteners had been utilized in the supporting columns.
By Wednesday, the death toll in the 6.4 magnitude quake stood at 44, with all except two of the deaths coming in the building collapse. Approximately 100 people are believed to be still under the debris.
FTV and other Taiwanese media said that Lin had changed his identity after a previous bankruptcy and had run multiple property development firms in Tainan, a clear attempt to evade creditors and clients.
While the shallow quake was potentially destructive, few apartments were damaged because of the strict construction standards in place in Taiwan, an island frequently struck by earthquakes. The Weiguan Golden Dragon apartment, constructed in 1989, was the only major structure that collapsed in the temblor.
About 320 people were rescued from the catastrophe in the hours immediately after the quake, whereby the structure's foundation and lower floors gave in before the building toppled onto its side.
According to the same publication, earthquakes are common in Taiwan, and most are minor, causing little or no destruction. A 7.6 magnitude quake in central Taiwan saw the death of over 2,300 people in 1999. Since then, strict construction standards were put in place and they were strictly implemented.
The recent quake struck during the most important family holiday in the Chinese calendar: the Lunar New Year.