TAINAN, Taiwan (AFP) —Relatives of residents trapped in a 16-storey apartment complex felled by a powerful earthquake yesterday in Taiwan that killed 14 people (latest count), were praying for miracles as rescuers sought survivors, with more than 150 missing in the quake zone.

The cluster of buildings in the historic southern city of Tainan were full of families who had gathered for Lunar New Year celebrations when it collapsed and the death toll is rising.

The national disaster response centre said a total of 156 people were still out of contact across Tainan and neighbouring counties.

Lee Wei-sen, a spokesman for the centre, said those missing had “lost contact in disaster-hit areas in Tainan, Chiayi and Yunlin”.

Tainan bore the brunt of the 6.4-magnitude quake as well as the disaster zone centres around a residential complex containing almost 100 homes which were toppled.

The four blocks at the Wei-kuan complex were left lying on their sides with twisted metal girders exposed and clouds of dust rising from the jumbled concrete.

Among the 12 people killed when the apartment buildings collapsed were a 10-day-old baby girl and two other children, the National Fire Agency said.

The other two victims were killed in different parts of the city by falling debris, the agency said.

Around 800 troops have been mobilised to help the rescue effort at Wei-kuan.

A senior army official at the scene said around 20 people were still trapped in one of the buildings.

Liang Chuan-shun, deputy fire bureau chief for Tainan, told AFP the search was now “a race against time” and would continue throughout the night.

“Some rooms in the building were rented to students who would not register with the census authorities —we’re not sure how many others might still be left within,” he said.

Relatives huddled by the ruins late yesterday, hoping for news.

“I was woken up by the quake and called my brother’s mobile — no-one answered and I feared something was wrong,” said Huang Yu-liang who lives near the site and is waiting for news of his brother, sister-in-law and their two children.

“I rushed here and saw the collapsed building and I was in shock. Their building is at the bottom (of the wreckage). I am praying for miracles.”

Rescue workers told AFP that two of the toppled buildings fell against the other two blocks in the complex, crushing them.

Wang Chien-ming came from Yunlin county to the north of Tainan to find his sister and her family.

“My sister, her husband and their child live on the third floor and I haven’t heard any news since I arrived here. I will keep waiting for as long as it takes.”

Officials said there were 256 people registered as living in the complex, which contained 96 apartments.