New Delhi/Taiwan: The Foreign Ministry confirmed on Thursday that two Indian nationals who were reported missing after a powerful earthquake struck Taiwan are safe. The earthquake, measuring 7.2 magnitude, was the strongest to hit Taiwan in about 25 years, striking Hualien County during the morning rush hour on Wednesday.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated in his weekly briefing, “Two persons, we were not able to establish contact in the wake of the earthquake there. But now, we have established contact and they are safe.”
The earthquake resulted in at least 10 casualties and left around a hundred others injured, with over a dozen individuals still reported missing. Dramatic videos shared online depicted buildings shaking violently, bridges swaying, and citizens scrambling for safety.
Several buildings in Hualien suffered severe structural damage, with some leaning at precarious angles and their ground floors crushed. The impact of the quake also triggered tsunami warnings in neighboring Japan and the Philippines.
Overnight, Hualien experienced dozens of aftershocks, some of which were felt in Taipei, located over 150 km away. In Taiwan’s capital city, older buildings saw tiles falling off, prompting precautionary evacuations of schools and buildings.
Taiwan, situated near the convergence of two tectonic plates, is susceptible to earthquakes. Previous devastating quakes include one in 2016 that claimed over 100 lives in southern Taiwan, and another in 1999 that resulted in the loss of over 2,000 lives.
As rescue and relief efforts continue in the aftermath of the earthquake, authorities are striving to locate and assist those affected by the disaster.
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