24.19°C Vancouver

Apr 4, 2024 2:35 PM - The Associated Press

Rescuers search for people out of contact in Taiwan after strong earthquake

Share On
rescuers-search-for-people-out-of-contact-in-taiwan-after-strong-earthquake
In the eastern coastal city of Hualien near the epicenter, workers used an excavator to put construction materials around the base of a damaged building to stabilize it and prevent a collapse.(Photo: The Canadian Press)

Rescuers searched for dozens of people out of contact Thursday a day after Taiwan'sstrongest earthquakein a quarter century damaged buildings, caused multiple rockslides and killed nine people.

In the eastern coastal city of Hualien near the epicenter, workers used an excavator to put construction materials around the base of a damaged building to stabilize it and prevent a collapse. Mayor Hsu Chen-wei previously said 48 residential buildings were damaged. Some of the damaged buildings tilted at precarious angles with their ground floors crushed.

More than 1,000 people were injured inthe quakethat struck Wednesday morning. Of the nine dead, at least four were struck inside Taroko National Park, a tourist attraction famous for its scenes of canyons and cliffs in Hualien County, about 150 kilometers (90 miles) from the island's capital Taipei.

Nearly 150 people were either still trapped or out of contact Thursday, the National Fire Agency said.

About two dozen tourists and some others were stranded in the park. The health and welfare ministry said 64 others were workers at a rock quarry. Six workers from another quarry were airlifted from the area where access was cut off because roads were damaged by falling rocks.

Several people, including six university students, were also reported to be trapped. Around 50 people, mostly employees at the hotel earlier reported to be in the national park, were out of contact with authorities.

For hours after the quake, TV showed neighbors and rescue workers lifting residents through windows and onto the street from damaged buildings where the shaking had fused shut the doors. It wasn’t clear Thursday morning if any people were trapped in damaged buildings.

The temblor and aftershocks caused many landslides and damaged roads, bridges and tunnels. The national legislature and sections of Taipei's main airport had minor damage.

Taiwan measured the initial quake's strength as 7.2 magnitude while the U.S. Geological Survey put it at 7.4. The Central Weather Administration has recorded more than 300 aftershocks from Wednesday morning into Thursday.

Taiwan isregularly jolted by earthquakesand its population is among the best prepared for them. It also had stringent construction requirements to ensure buildings are quake-resistant.

The economic losses caused by the quake are still unclear. The self-ruled island is the leading manufacturer of the world’s most sophisticated computer chips and other high-technology items that are sensitive to seismic events.

Hualienwas laststruck by a deadly quakein 2018 that killed 17 people and brought down a historic hotel. Taiwan’s worst recent quake on Sept. 21, 1999, a magnitude 7.7 temblor that caused 2,400 deaths, injuring around 100,000 and destroying thousands of buildings.

Latest news

b-c-minister-bowinn-ma-tells-of-frightening-incident-at-her-constituency-office
BCJun 27, 2025

B.C. minister Bowinn Ma tells of 'frightening' incident at her constituency office

British Columbia's Infrastructure Minister Bowinn Ma says there was a "frightening" security incident at her constituency office in North Vancouver early Friday. Ma says in a statement that all meetings and appointments at the office have been cancelled for the day. Her statement says that thankfully, nobody was injured, and she appreciates the concern expressed by community members. Ma doesn't describe the incident and says due to an active police investigation, she won't be able to provide more details about what happened. She says she wants to thank the officers who responded to the inciden
trump-terminating-trade-talks-with-canada-over-digital-tax
WorldJun 27, 2025

Trump 'terminating' trade talks with Canada over digital tax

U-S President Donald Trump says he is immediately ending all trade talks with Canada. The sudden termination is over Canada's plan to go ahead with its digital services tax on big U-S tech companies that do business here. The tax is set to take effect Monday but would be retroactive for the past three years, leaving U-S companies with atwo-billion-dollar U-S bill due at the end of the month. Trump says Washington will notify Canada about new tariff rates within the next week.
surrey-sikh-games-canada-2025-begin-at-tamanawis-park
BCJun 27, 2025

Surrey: Sikh Games Canada 2025 begin at Tamanawis Park

The Sikh Games Canada in Surrey began yesterday, June 26th. During the first days games, some interesting field hockey competition was witnessed in the under-10 category. Although the senior teams had also taken to the field this morning. The event, which started on Thursday, has not only the competition of different categories of field hockey as its main attraction, but also soccer, wrestling, volleyball, Gatka event, cultural performances etc. are also attracting people.Organizers say that this event, which started as a field hockey tournament in 2008, has now become one of the largest multi
canada-may-cut-student-visas-further
CanadaJun 27, 2025

Canada may cut student visas further

The Canadian government may cut student visas further. Immigration Minister Lina Diab is set to launch a consultation on immigration targets this summer, with a focus on student visas. This comes after the federal government last year announced a cap on study permits and a gradual reduction in the number of student visas. A spokeswoman for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada says the government expects schools to only accept students they can support by providing housing and other services. Meanwhile, the main opposition Conservatives are already in favor of this cut, with the pa
big-trade-deal-to-be-signed-soon-between-washington-and-new-delhi-trump
WorldJun 27, 2025

Big trade deal to be signed soon between Washington and New Delhi: Trump

US President Donald Trump says that a big trade deal is going to be signed soon between Washington and New Delhi. He said this at the White House. Trump said that recently America has signed a trade deal with China and now a big trade deal is going to be signed with India as well. He said that everyone wants to deal with us. Trump said that we will have a very big deal with India. The President also said that the White House will not make a deal with every country. Trump said that to some we are just going to send a letter saying thank you very much, you will have to pay 25 to 45 percent t

Related News