Rescuers work to free trapped people after earthquake in Taiwan

Rescuers are working to free people trapped after a strong earthquake struck Taiwan’s east coast, killing at least six people and leaving another 76 missing. Several buildings have caved in and others are tilting dangerously after the 6.4-magnitude tremor.

Photos show buildings in the worst-hit Hualien county leaning at sharp angles, their lowest floors crushed into mangled heaps of debris.

Firefighters climbed ladders hoisted against windows to reach residents inside apartments. The shallow quake caused at least four buildings to cave in and shift on their foundations. This was likely caused by soil liquefaction, when the ground beneath a building loses its solidity under stress.