Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Farewell to tilting symbol of earthquake
FRUIT, flowers, folded piles of paper money and incense paper were laid on a table yesterday in a ceremony for the dead as authorities prepared to demolish a precariously tilting building that has become a symbol of Taiwan’s biggest quake in 25 years.
The glass-fronted Uranus building, located in Hualien, the city nearest the quake’s epicentre, is a 10-storey mix of shops and apartments that has stood for nearly 40 years.
The magnitude-7.4 earthquake on Wednesday caused it to tilt at a 45-degree angle, its twisted exterior becoming one of the most recognisable images to emerge from the disaster.
“(We) offer sacrifices and pray for blessing for the demolition work of the Uranus building,” an announcer said over a loudspeaker.
Traditional cultural rites like blessing a new home or providing offerings to spirits after buying a plot of land are commonplace in Taiwan.
The authorities said they would start taking it apart, first preparing a table of offerings in front of the building to ensure a smooth demolition and to “soothe the lost souls” of those
killed in the quake.
“We hope to complete the demolition within two weeks so Hualien people can return to their regular lives. We hope that everyone will not be in such a panicky situation,” Hualien county chief Hsu Chen-wei said.
By about 1 pm, a severe aftershock hit the city, alarming the construction team as the building appeared to lean more perilously forward.
Accelerating the process, workers
began inserting giant metal bars to stabilise the structure.
So far, at least 10 people are known to have died from the quake, with more than 1100 injured.
Hundreds remain stranded by landslides around Taroko National Park.
Meanwhile, Japan will provide $1 million (R18.6m) in relief aid to Taiwan to support rescue activities and recovery, foreign minister Yoko Kamikawa said yesterday. |