Rescue efforts are under way in Taiwan after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck the island’s eastern coast, killing at least nine and injuring more than 800.
127 people are currently trapped within a collapsed tunnels and on mountainous roads along the rugged coastline. The damage was also concentrated in the eastern Taiwan county of Hualien, near the quake’s epicenter, where officials said they were working to rescue 131 people who are currently trapped in those areas.
This seismic event marks the most powerful earthquake to strike Taiwan in a 25 years. The epicenter of the quake was located 18km (11 miles) south of Hualien city, yet its effects were felt strongly as far as the capital city of Taipei, over 100km away.
It also triggered tsunami alerts earlier in the day in nearby Japanese and Philippine islands, which were later retracted. It caused the most damage in Hualien, where buildings fell, roads were blocked and train lines disrupted, leaving the remote region even more cut off from the rest of Taiwan.
Ocean Tsai, who lives in Hualien, told newsmen “I was just getting out of bed when a clothes rack and a low cabinet fell over, It kept getting stronger, and I started worrying about our belongings at home. Fortunately, apart from the motorcycle tipping over, the damage was minimal.”
Rescue operations to reach 77 people trapped in the Jinwen and Qingshui tunnels along the road in Hualien were continuing into the night.
It is unclear how long those inside will be trapped and whether or not they have food and water, or can communicate with the outside world.
