A magnitude 6.8 earthquake caused a three-story building in Hualien County’s Yuli Township to collapse Sunday afternoon, with local police saying they were still searching for three people trapped in the rubble.

Firefighters have already rescued one of the five people believed to have been in the building when it collapsed, according to local police.

An employee of a 7-Eleven convenience store on the building’s first floor escaped on his own by breaking through a window, police added.

Update

5:30 p.m.: In addition to a 70-year-old man rescued by the firefighters, his 63-year-old wife has also been rescued, with two remaining trapped.

6:08 p.m.: The remaing two people trapped in the building have been rescued.
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Taiwan’s southeastern Taitung County at 2:44 p.m. Sunday, with the epicenter in Chishang Township in Taitung at a depth of 7.0 kilometers and 42.7 km north of Taitung County Hall, according to the Central Weather Bureau.

Taiwan has recorded a series of earthquakes since Saturday evening, including a magnitude 6.4 tremblor at 9:41 p.m. on Saturday and a magnitude 5.9 one at 1:19 p.m. on Sunday, according to the bureau’s data.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel