Authorities have detained three people following the collapse of a high-rise building complex in Tainan on Saturday.
The 17-story Weiguan Jinlong complex toppled when a 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck southern Taiwan. At least 44 of the 46 quake-related deaths are connected to the collapse, while another 94 people are listed as missing. With more than four days having passed since the quake struck, there is dwindling hope of finding survivors.
Authorities are looking into the possibility that shoddy construction is to blame for the collapsed building. On Tuesday they detained Lin Ming-hui, the chairman of the now-defunct company that built the complex.
Also detained are former architects Chang Kui-bao and Cheng Chin-kui. All three are suspected of professional negligence resulting in loss of life.
The Tainan District Court says that the three have given conflicting statements, and that there is a risk they might collude with witnesses or other suspects. The court has therefore ordered the three held incommunicado.
Meanwhile on Wednesday, the Tainan District Prosecutor’s Office discovered that the Weiguan Jinlong complex had 50% fewer beam-column joint stirrups than called for in the original plans. Prosecutors say this had a serious impact on the building’s ability to withstand earthquakes.