Scary and fearful: Indian national recounts horror of Taiwan quake as deadly tremor strikes eastern coast

An Indian national living in Taiwan has recounted the horrorafter a powerful earthquake measuring 7.4 on the Richter scale shook Taiwan's eastern coast, and said that it was an "scary" moment.

Notably, the quake that hit the island nation claimed at least four lives and injured more than 900 people.

Sana Hashmi, an Indian postdoctoral fellow at the Taiwan Asia Exchange Foundation, reportedly witnessed the natural calamity while in Taipei. While reflecting on the incident, Hashmi described the harrowing moments and the swift response from authorities. Hashmi commended the Indian authorities in Taiwan for their efforts in ensuring the safety of nationals.

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In a conversation with ANI news agency, Hashmi reportedly said, "I'm also reading in the news that we might also see and experience aftershocks with greater intensity in the coming days. So I think the government is definitely preparing for it, and people are also prepared. This might also happen and there's a lot of awareness that is being spread right now. WhatsApp groups are being activated... The government is being very, very active in disseminating information."

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There was a devastation in Hualien where buildings collapsed.

While narrating the experience, Hashmi said that people were "definitely a little scared and there was an atmosphere of fear."

However, she continued by saying that despite everything, people are resilient and continues to remain calm.

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Efforts to assist Indian nationals in Taiwan continued and the Indian Taipei Association issued advisories and helplines for support.

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The quake's epicenter, located in the Pacific Ocean, triggered varying intensity levels across Taiwan.

Speaking over the aftershocks of the quake, Hashmi noted, "I think we are experiencing aftershocks this morning, and according to news or even our own experience now....We are not sure if they're actually aftershocks or we are just feeling dizzy. But definitely, there are aftershocks. They're very strong aftershocks. And I'm also reading in the news that we might also see and experience aftershocks with greater intensity in the coming days. So I think the government is definitely preparing for it, and people are also prepared."

"Actually before this, we generally receive a message before any national calamity happens and even before earthquake has been a few seconds before, but this time, a lot of people didn't receive it. So a lot of people are asking questions about the effectiveness of such alerts. So we are not seeing it yet. But, of course, there are casualties, sadly," she added.

Moreover, two Indians (a male and a female) have been reported as missing following the earthquake. They were last sighted near Taroko Gorge, in close proximity to the epicentre. Currently, search efforts are in progress to locate them.

(With inputs from agencies)