Vusumuzi Dube
Rescue teams Thursday were trying to reach more than 600 people in eastern Taiwan following the strongest earthquake to hit the island in decades, as the number of people injured passed 1,000.
Aftershocks continued to rattle the island a day after the 7.4 magnitude quake struck just south of Hualien County, the worst-affected region, killing at least nine people, buckling buildings and triggering landslides.
Taiwanese officials warned aftershocks as high as magnitude 7 could continue until the end of the week.
Hualien resident Hong Changyi told CNN that his liquor store was in one of the buildings felled by the quake.
“All my goods, including all my supplies on the bottom floor were destroyed,” he said. “My mind has gone blank, seeing that all of my life’s work has vanished.”
“The shops that have been operating for over a decade are gone in one morning, it’s painful to see,” he added. “But people are safe, so that’s fortunate.”
For such a large quake, the death toll remains relatively low and damage appears limited. As well as nine people dead, 1,050 were injured and 42 missing. There are 646 people stranded but in contact with rescue teams, according to Taiwan’s National Fire Agency.
While dozens of people were rescued overnight, authorities said efforts are focused on freeing people stranded in a quarry in Hualien, as well as reaching those cut off in surrounding mountain gorges, a tourist destination popular with hikers.-CNN
Bongani Ndlovu