A person watches as an earthquake-damaged building is demolished in Hualien, Taiwan, on Thursday morning.
18:21 JST, April 4, 2024
HUALIEN, Taiwan – Amid frequent aftershocks, I visited the city of Hualien in eastern Taiwan, a day after a strong quake shook the city in eastern Taiwan. I saw many collapsed buildings and people gathering in shelters.
Authorities cordoned off a collapsed building in the city center, about three kilometers from Hualien Station on the Taiwan Railway, as police and others stood guard. The windows and exterior walls of the building had fallen off, exposing the furniture inside.
At another collapsed building, several hundred meters away, demolition work began at dawn. Dozens of soldiers, police and firefighters surrounded the building as heavy equipment dismantled it. Large trucks came and drove through the rising dust, carrying away debris.
A 70-year-old housewife who lives nearby looked on with concern.
“Earthquakes are common in Hualien, but this time the quake felt particularly strong,” said the woman, who was a regular at a breakfast restaurant in the building.
Shelters have been set up in parks and schools. About 130 people stayed in a shelter at a primary school near Hualien station on Thursday morning. Hualien has many tourist attractions, such as the Taroko National Park, which attracts foreign tourists with its beautiful gorges. Foreign tourists caught sightseeing by the earthquake were also in shelters.
A 23-year-old university student from Hong Kong, who had never experienced an earthquake before, was on the eighth floor of a hotel when the earthquake occurred.
“I can’t stay on a high floor now because I was so scared,” she said tensely.
The damage to buildings appeared particularly severe in specific areas. Elsewhere in a less affected area, an early morning market opened on Thursday morning.
Members of the Taiwanese military stand guard outside a crooked building in downtown Hualien, Taiwan, on Thursday.
More than 1,000 people were injured
By Masatsugu Sonoda / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent
The earthquake that struck the city of Hualien on Wednesday has killed nine people and injured 1,038 as of Thursday morning, according to Taiwanese authorities. In addition, 52 people are still missing.
Twenty people were rescued from a collapsed building in the city after a search that lasted more than eight hours, according to The United Daily News, a major Taiwanese newspaper, and other news sources.
More than 310 aftershocks occurred as of 8 a.m. Thursday, mainly in Hualien, hampering rescue efforts. Rail services that were partially suspended after the earthquake resumed normal timetables on Thursday.
Taiwanese Vice President Lai Ching-te went to Hualien on Wednesday afternoon to view the collapsed buildings and disaster response center. Lai told reporters that it was necessary to restore public facilities and support recovery efforts.
The international community sends offers of aid to Taiwan.
“We are monitoring reports of the earthquake hitting Taiwan,” said Adrienne Watson, spokesperson for the US National Security Council. “The United States stands ready to provide any necessary assistance.”
