HUALIEN COUNTY: Twenty-four out of a total of 25 people who were trapped in a severely tilted building in China’s Taiwan region after a 7.3-magnitude earthquake were rescued, one other found died as rescue efforts were wrapped up at around 22:00 on Wednesday.
According to a report by China Central Television, an earthquake struck the waters off Hualien County in the Taiwan region at 07:58 on Wednesday. The 10-story Uranus Building, which housed a combination of residential units and commercial shops, was observed to be leaning dangerously and at risk of collapsing.
The local fire department said that from the morning since the building was first hit by the earthquake to the evening, the displacement had increased by five centimetres and the building could collapse at any time due to constant aftershocks.
Many of its residents managed to flee when shockwaves hit with rescuers working through the day to free people trapped inside. Rescuers found a woman inside the building who already had no vital signs.
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cal fire departments also dispatched tower cranes, excavators and trucks to position large rocks to support the structure and prevent its full collapse.
The quake had left nine people dead and 1,011 other people injured as of 22:00 Wednesday, according to the local emergency operation centre.
Meanwhile, more than 100 people were trapped following the earthquake that hit the sea area near Hualien County, Taiwan, data from the centre showed.
The 7.3-magnitude earthquake had been followed by more than 200 aftershocks as of 22:37 Wednesday.
A total of 48 buildings in Hualien County were damaged in the earthquake, four of which were seriously damaged. Most residents have been evacuated safely.
Source: Emirates News Agency