New taipei: A janitor was declared dead early Sunday after being discovered collapsed near a ladder at an elementary school in New Taipei's Wugu District, following a significant earthquake that impacted much of Taiwan late Saturday night.

According to Focus Taiwan, the New Taipei City Police Department's Luzhou Precinct reported that the 7.0 magnitude earthquake, which occurred off of Yilan County shortly after 11 p.m. on Saturday, caused damage to pipes at the school, resulting in water leaks within the building.

The 62-year-old maintenance worker, identified by the surname Lin, was discovered around 2:45 a.m. on the floor of a fourth-floor restroom with a metal ladder beside him. Firefighters responded to the scene and transported him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Officers from the Luzhou Precinct, along with a school security guard, entered the school after receiving a report concerning the water leak.

According to police, surveillance footage indicated that the maintenance worker went from his dormitory to the school basement to retrieve an aluminum ladder before proceeding upstairs to inspect the damaged water pipes after the earthquake hit.

The incident has been reported to prosecutors, who will conduct an investigation to determine the cause of death.