Taiwan woke up to the aftermath of the strongest earthquake that shook the island nation in 25 years on Wednesday with a strong intensity of 7.4 on the Richter Scale, according to the U.S. Geological Survey while the country’s earthquake monitoring agency put the magnitude at 7.2.
At least nine people have been reported dead so far while over a 1000 have been inured in the quake which had its epicentre 18km (11 miles) south of Hualien.
The footage shared by users on social media showed scycrapers shaking off their foundation, dangling buildings, and landslides. The quake was strongly felt in capital Taipei while the ripples went as far as Shanghai in China.
- Over a 100 people are still believed to be trapped under collapsed tunnels and roads along the coastline, according to a BBC report.
- According to Taiwan’s fire department, the number of injured people reached 1038 while 48 people have been reported missing which includes 42 hotel workers, reported Reuters.
- The disaster management command centre said that location the hotel workers was a major focus for them and the authorities are mulling to send drones and helicopters to look for them and drop supplies if they are found, acccording to the report.
- Rescue operations to reach 77 people that were trapped in the Jinwen and Qingshui tunnels along the road in Hualien continued into the early hours of Thursday morning, as per the BBC report.
- It was yet not known as to how long the people will remained trapped and whether or not they have food and water, or can communicate with the outside world.
- Earthquakes are a frequent occurence in Taiwan and its population is among the best prepared for them but the Wednesday tremors were extraordinary for the people.
- “I’ve grown accustomed to (earthquakes). But today was the first time I was scared to tears by an earthquake,” said Hsien-hsuen Keng, who lives in a fifth-floor apartment in Taipei, reported AP. “I was awakened by the earthquake. I had never felt such intense shaking before,” said the Taipei resident.
- Six people who were trapped in a mining area were rescued by a helicopter on Thursday.
- In Hualien city, the epicentre of the quake, the rescue work to pull out people who had been trapped in buildings has been completed and excavators were used to stabilise the damaged buildings.
