The Anglican bishop of Taiwan has promised assistance to the victims of last Sunday’s magnitude 6.4 earthquake that struck the city of Tainan, killing 38 and injuring over 500. Approximately 118 people are still listed as missing following the quake, and 24 of the dead have been pulled from a single 16-story high rise that collapsed. Taiwan’s state news agency Central News Agency reported that rescue workers found that tin cans had been used as filler in the walls of the collapsed building — the only high rise to topple in the earthquake. Taiwan’s interior minister said he would launch an investigation in the building collapse once rescue efforts had concluded. The quake struck at the start of the Chinese lunar new year holidays, catching many people at home. The Rt. Rev. David Lai told Premier Radio the Tainan earthquake was the most severe seismic event in 50 years in southern Taiwan and was felt over 300 km away in the nation’s capital Taipei. “We will raise funds to help those buildings collapsed or destroyed. We’ve already asked all the churches to pray for them,” the bishop said, adding: “We will try our best to help them. I will encourage some church members to go to that area, to have some action, to take care.” Christians did not just stay in church, he said but were called to serve all people. “We will ask the local church, priests, pastors, and the church members to do some activity to help them.”
