Taiwan remembers quake victims

Korean rescuers are reunited with miracle boy Chang Ching-hong

Thousands of Taiwanese on Thursday marked the first anniversary of a devastating earthquake that killed 2,400 people.

But even as they held night vigils across Taiwan, a fresh tremor rattled the island's north-east.

Prayers were held across Taiwan in memory of victims

Seismologists said the new quake, measuring 5.1 on the Richter Scale, was centred just east of Neisheng in Ilan county. No casualties or damage were reported.

President Chen Shui-bian, who joined a vigil in the town of Chi Chi - close to the epicentre of the quake - was heckled by a small group, angry at the slow pace of reconstruction work.

Last year's quake, measuring 7.6 on the Richter Scale, damaged or destroyed more than 50,000 homes, leaving at least 100,000 people homeless.

Many are still seeking justice, a year after the tragedy

In Tsaotun, capital of Nantou, the worst-hit county, Vice-President Annette Lu and Catholic Cardinal Bishop Paul Shan led around 2,000 people in a seven-minute silence.

The names of quake victims were shown on a huge television screen.

Temples and churches across the country began ringing their bells at 0147 on Thursday morning (1747 GMT Wednesday) - the exact time the quake struck.

Epicentre

During the vigil, President Chen expressed his sorrow and asked Taiwan's people to stand up and strive ahead together.

"We are very sorry," the president said.

He mixed together soil from the island's 25 counties and cities.

The soil will be made into a wall to be erected at a new train station for Chi Chi to replace the old one which was destroyed in the quake.

"The town was chosen partly because it was the epicentre, and partly because we want to take advantage of the symbolic meaning of Chi Chi, which means 'unite together'," government official Hung Meng-chi told the news agency AFP.

"Hopefully all our compatriots will work hand in hand along the long path towards reconstruction," he added.

Reunions

There were emotional scenes in Taichung on Wednesday as international rescuers met some of the victims they had pulled from the rubble.

This temple will be turned into a monument in memory of the victims

Korean rescue teams embraced seven-year-old Chang Ching-hong whom they had pulled out after 88 hours buried in the rubble of an apartment block. His parents and sisters were killed in the quake.

Nearly 150 people, including developers and architects, have been indicted for shoddy construction work which was blamed for the high number of buildings which fell down.

The wreckage of toppled apartment blocks has revealed that some walls had been filled in with newspapers, plastic bottles and cooking oil cans.

In Taichung city, four people were convicted on Wednesday of endangering public safety. They were given jail terms of up to five years.

The Taichung Dynasty residence complex collapsed during the quake, killing 29 people and injuring 27 others.