Taiwan holds memorial service for 117 victims of earthquake

Taipei, Feb 27: Taiwan has held a memorial service for the 117 victims of a devastating earthquake that struck the island's heavily populated south earlier this month.

President Ma Ying-jeoy, President-elect Tsai Ing-wen and other officials joined about 4,000 attendees at today's outdoor service at a stadium in the city of Tainan, where all of the casualties from the February 6 quake were recorded.

Of those, 115 died in a single 17-story apartment building that toppled over shortly after the early morning magnitude- 6.4 quake, trapping residents under tons of concrete and steel.

More than 550 people were injured in the disaster. Following a minute of silence, participants placed lilies on a bier at the rear of the stage, where the victims' photographs were displayed.

AP