A 14-year-old girl trapped in a collapsed residential complex in southern Taiwan following a 6.4-magnitude quake was successfully pulled out on after 20 hours of rescue efforts.

The girl, named Zhou Li, was found to be buried by a bed on the sixth floor of the toppled Wei Guan Building in Tainan City. She was rescued at about 06.00 local time on Sunday (7 February), although her mother is still missing.

"She may be injured because she didn't answer when I shouted. I'm worried about her. Rescuers told me they have found her," said Zhou Li.

The 6.7-magnitude quake hit Kaohsiung City at 03.57 local time on 6 February, just two days ahead of the Chinese New Year. At least 40 people have been confirmed dead in the quake, with over 100 people believed to be still buried under the rubble.

Taiwan is frequently rattled by earthquakes, although most cause little or no damage. A 7.3-magnitude quake in 1999, the strongest to hit Taiwan in about 100 years, left more than 2,000 people dead.