Following Taiwan’s most severe earthquake in 25 years, recovery efforts are in full swing as rescuers work tirelessly to find many still unaccounted for. The event, which took place a day prior, saw considerable damage to structures, as well as a reported 10 fatalities and a number of individuals stranded in out-of-the-way locations.
In the city of Hualien – in close proximity to the epicentre – work is being carried out to reinforce unstable buildings. This process involves using an excavator to strengthen the foundation of these structures with construction materials. Meanwhile, officials collected surface samples from the buildings, whilst chickens roamed the inclined roofs.
Hsu Chen-wei, Hualien’s mayor, reported that 48 residential buildings were impacted by Wednesday’s tremor, with severe structural tilting and crushing of ground floors observed. With their homes in a dire state, Hualien inhabitants have resorted to residing in tents. As of Thursday afternoon, the primary road connecting the county to Taiwan’s capital, Taipei, remained unopened. Despite this, signs of normality are slowly returning elsewhere in Taiwan.
Local rail services have resumed operations in Hualien, along with the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company – a key player in the global computer chip industry – according to the Central News Agency. Earthquakes are a common occurrence in Taiwan, and the inhabitants are well versed in dealing with such natural disasters. Stricter construction regulations are also in place to ensure the structural integrity of buildings during these events.
In a tale of survival, Hendri Sutrisno, a 30-year-old university professor, spent a night with his wife and newborn child in a tent, fearful of tremors. It was only after several hours were they able to return to their apartment to quickly gather their essentials. Living in higher floors and observing fractured apartment walls have deterred others from returning home.
On Thursday morning, Chen Chien-jen, Taiwanese Prime Minister, met with some of the individuals evacuated due to the quake at a temporary shelter. Additionally, nearly 1,070 individuals have been reported injured as a result of the disaster.
Among the 10 deceased, at least four were found in Taroko National Park, a tourist hotspot in Hualien County celebrated for its canyons and cliffs located approximately 150km from Taipei. In the aftermath of the quake, one individual was found deceased in a damaged building, whilst another was discovered in the Ho Ren Quarry. By Thursday afternoon, another body was retrieved from a trail.
The National Fire Agency revealed that approximately 700 individuals were either unaccounted for or trapped as of Thursday, including in excess of 600 people at a lodging named Silks Place Taroko. The relevant authorities confirmed that those at the hotel, including staff and patrons, were secure with adequate provisions. They also informed that the repair works to restore accessibility to the hotel were nearly finished. In addition to this, there were reports of stranded tourists, campers, and students, all of whom were safe according to officials.
It was also reported that around 60 labourers trapped within a quarry due to obstructed and demolished roads had been released. All of them managed to safely leave the mountainous area by midday, as stated by The Central News Agency. Using helicopters, six workers from another quarry were also rescued. However, authorities lost contact with around 40 people, primarily hotel staff who were previously reported to be in the national park.
In the wake of the quake, neighbours and rescue workers heroically lifted the affected dwellers through windows onto the streets from buildings which were damaged to the extent doors were jammed shut. It remained uncertain as of Thursday if anyone was still trapped within compromised structures.
The earthquake and ensuing tremors provoked serious landslides, as well as causing damage to infrastructure such as roads, bridges and tunnels. Minor damage was suffered by the national legislature and parts of the primary airport in Taipei. The severity of the earthquake has not been matched in Taiwan for a quarter of a century.
The strength of the initial quake was measured at 7.2 by local authorities, whereas the US Geological Survey assessed it as being 7.4. Huang Shiao-en was at home when the quake happened, and described the building fluctuating horizontally then vertically.
Records from The Central Weather Administration noted over 300 aftershocks from the morning of Wednesday into Thursday. The economic impact of the quake is still to be determined. The self-governed island is renowned for manufacturing some of the world’s most advanced computer chips, amongst other sensitive high-tech objects.
The last significant earthquake in Hualien was in 2018, where 17 fatalities occurred and a historical hotel was demolished. The most severe recent quake to affect Taiwan was on the 21st of September 1999. The 7.7 magnitude quake lead to 2,400 deaths, close to 100,000 injuries and thousands of buildings being destroyed.