Quickly, security officials escorted Chen away from the stage. Central counties hardest hit The quake served as a violent wake-up call for Taiwan, which had not been hit by a severe tremor in about 50 years and was dangerously unprepared for such a disaster. Inexperienced emergency teams lacked basic rescue equipment, and apartment blocks constructed during a recent building boom could not withstand the quake's jolt. In Chungliao, one-third of the population has moved away to look for work. Others have given up.
People have no money and are losing hope.
At least 80,000 people remain unemployed in the quake-stricken areas, and most of the schools, highways and other reconstruction projects have yet to be completed. Collapses blamed on contractors Many of the building collapses were blamed on unscrupulous contractors who ignored building codes or skimped on materials. Some builders mixed cans and newspapers in concrete walls and pillars, while others saved money by cutting back on reinforcement rods in foundations. Taiwanese courts have been slow to prosecute the developers, many of whom fled Taiwan or dissolved their companies, avoiding responsibility for building collapses. But on Wednesday, the Taichung District Court convicted four men of endangering public safety in the construction of a building that toppled and killed 29 people.