6.4 Magnitude Quake Hits Chinese Taipei

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2018-02-06
Chinese Taipei
Earthquake

Dozens of people are missing following a deadly earthquake in Chinese Taipei, with more than 40 feared trapped in a multi-story building tilting perilously in the northeastern city of Hualien.
The magnitude-6.4 quake struck 22 kilometers (13 miles) north of the city late Tuesday (6 Feb.), killing at least four people and injuring 243 people. It also damaged bridges and buckled roads in the east of the island.
Video from the site of the quake showed smoke still rising from the collapsed buildings on Wednesday(7 Feb) morning, as firefighters patrolled streets covered in rubble.
Authorities said Wednesday that four buildings in the city were either tilting or had collapsed and 85 people were unaccounted for -- 43 believed to have been living at the Yun Men Tsui Ti building, a large residential and commercial complex, according to Chinese Taipei's central emergency center.
Rescue workers were also attempting to help two hotel workers trapped near the main counter at the lobby of the Marshal Hotel, which collapsed when the quake struck, CNA, Chinese Taipei's official news agency said.
Dozens of aftershocks continued to shake the city, with 600 military personnel and more than 750 firefighters combing through the rubble and helping with rescue efforts, according to Chinese Taipei's central emergency center.
Nine Japanese nationals were injured and taken to hospital, authorities said, but they have all been released. In total, 31 foreigners were affected, including 14 South Koreans, nine Japanese, two Czechs, two Singaporeans, and one Filipino, CNA reported.

Source: CNN. February 7, 2018. By Ben Westcott, Yazhou Sun and Liu Kwang-Yin. Dozens feared trapped in Taiwan after earthquake topples buildings. https://edition.cnn.com/2018/02/07/asia/taiwan-earthquake-hualien-intl/index.html