“It was very strong” Residents Lament Taiwan’s Biggest Earthquake In 25 Years

Taiwan was hit by a 7.5-magnitude earthquake on Wednesday, April 3, 2024, the biggest it has witnessed in 25 years.

Authorities say at least nine people have been confirmed dead, over 800 injured, and 50 people who were on a trip to a national park are missing.

Rescuers are using ladders to bring people to safety as tilted buildings in the sparsely populated Haulien eastern county make up scary images for residents.

“It was very strong. It felt as if the house was going to topple,” Chang Yu-lin, a 60-year-old hospital worker in Taipei, told Reuters.

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Another woman who asked to be identified as Chan in Hualien, who is in charge of a bed-and-breakfast accommodation, told Reuters that she tried to calm guests who were frightened by the earthquake.

“This is the biggest earthquake I have ever experienced,” Chan said.

The earthquake, which hit a depth of 15.5 km (9.6 miles), struck when people were going about their daily activities, especially school and work.

It also sparked a tsunami warning for southern Japan and the Philippines, which was later called off.

Authorities in the fire department said they were slowly evacuating people trapped in the tunnels, including two German nationals.

Taiwanese President-elect Lai Ching-te said that “at present the most important thing, the top priority, is to rescue people.”

He also disclosed that the rail link to the affected area is expected to reopen on Thursday, April 4, 2024.