Tainan – At least 14 people have died in Taiwan as a consequence of a 6.4 magnitude earthquake, on Saturday. Moreover, the Central Emergency Operation Center of the small island said that at least 436 people have been injured in southern Taiwan, which was the most affected area. Red Cross Society personnel and volunteers are already providing help at the place.
Tainan, a city on Taiwan’s southwest coast, was the most impacted area. On Saturday, more than 2,000 firefighters and soldiers rescued 436 people who were trapped among the ruins of a 17-floor residential building that collapsed after the 6.4 magnitude quake took place. 12 of the registered deaths occurred in the same building, according to the Taiwanese news channel, Focus Taiwan.
The other two deaths occurred at a Weikuan Jinlong residential building, after the edification collapsed when the earthquake struck at 3:58 a.m., 22 miles southeast of Yujing. According to the U.S. Geological Survey geophysicist Paul Caruso, the epicenter of the quake was on the island, said L.A. Times.
Several charity groups and institutions have already sent aid and volunteers to Tainan. More than 1,000 volunteers from the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation are giving blankets, scarves, bedding and hot food, for survivors. Also, the foundation has sent volunteers to 15 locations to give hot meals to people who lost their homes.
“I went to the top floors of the middle part of the building, where we found five people, one of whom was in bed and already dead. Some people were found in the shower, some in the bedroom.” said Liu Wen-bin, a rescuer from Taichung, according to The Washington Post.
Some emergency shelters are being installed in Tainan to provide people with scarves and winter bedding, after the Central Weather Bureau forecasted cold weather. The Taiwan’s Red Cross Society is also collaborating with Tainan authorities to help victims. Moreover, the Red Cross societies in China and Macau are giving $303 and $50 million, respectively, to assist survivors.
Today more than 100 people are still missing, according to local authorities. That being said, the official Central News Agency from Taiwan said that the number of missing people was of 172. According to rescuer Jian Zhengshun, it has been difficult to rescue people because several people were trapped among rubble from edifications.
Water supply was already restored in 150,000 households in southern Taiwan after they stayed without water service for several hours. Also, The state-owned Taiwan Power company said that all electricity plants are already working without interruptions, after some homes suffered power outages, said Focus Taiwan.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel