Survivor tells of living through collapse of Taiwan building

Rescue workers using excavators continue to search the rubble of a collapsed building complex in Tainan, Taiwan, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016. At least four people, including an 8-year-old girl, were rescued Monday from a high-rise Taiwanese apartment building toppled by a powerful quake two days earlier, as frustration grew among families waiting for searchers to reach their buried loved ones. (AP Photo/Annie Ho) Rescue workers using excavators continue to search the rubble of a collapsed building complex in Tainan, Taiwan, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016. At least four people, including an 8-year-old girl, were rescued Monday from a high-rise Taiwanese apartment building toppled by a powerful quake two days earlier, as frustration grew among families waiting for searchers to reach their buried loved ones. (AP Photo/Annie Ho)

By Associated Press February 9, 2016 1 min read

TAINAN, Taiwan (AP) – A survivor is telling of how he propped himself up against a wall for 20 hours to survive the collapse of a southern Taiwan building complex in Saturday’s earthquake.

Ko Ching-chung said he was with his girlfriend in their apartment at the Weiguan Golden Dragon complex in the city of Taiwan when the 6.4 magnitude quake hit just before 4 a.m. on Saturday.

Seeking to avoid falling and potentially smothering her, Ko said he wedged himself into the space but began to lose strength as the hours went by. Finally, he could no longer hold himself in place and, begging her forgiveness, collapsed onto his girlfriend.

Soon after, rescuers heard her voice and pulled the pair from the rubble. The death toll in the tragedy now stands at 40.