Around 70 workers trapped in rock quarries as powerful earthquake jolts Taiwan

Taiwanese authorities said on Wednesday (Apr 3) that around 70 workers are trapped in two rock quarries after the powerful earthquake and subsequent tremors. Nine people have confirmed died in the quake at different locations and more than 900 were injured. As per the local United Daily News, three hikers were killed in rockslides in Taroko National Park, which is in Hualien, and a van driver died in the same area when boulders hit the vehicle.

Taiwan's biggest earthquake in at least 25 years struck just before 8:00 am (local time), according to Taiwan's national fire agency.

The earthquake struck about 18 kilometres off Hualien, on Taiwan's east coast, and was about 35 kilometres deep. Multiple aftershocks followed.

The agency stated that 64 people were trapped in one rock quarry, and six in another. Authorities also said that they had lost contact with 50 people in minibuses in the national park after the quake downed phone networks.

Quake causes landslides

According to the US Geological Survey, the magnitude of the earthquake was 7.4, but Taiwan's monitoring agency said it was 7.2 magnitude. The quake and aftershocks led to 24 landslides and damage to 35 roads, bridges and tunnels.

People living in Taiwan are used to earthquakes as it is regularly jolted by quakes, but the latest was massive and scary. Notably, the Taiwanese population is among the best prepared for such earthquakes. As mentioned in a report by the Associated Press, local authorities said they had expected a relatively mild earthquake and accordingly did not send out alerts.

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"I've grown accustomed to (earthquakes). But today was the first time I was scared to tears by an earthquake. I was awakened by the earthquake. I had never felt such intense shaking before," Hsien-hsuen Keng, a resident who lives in a fifth-floor apartment in Taipei said as quoted by AP.

As quoted by Reuters, Linda Chen, 48, said her apartment in downtown Hualien city had been so badly damaged in an earlier earthquake in 2018 that they had to move house. But her new apartment block was damaged too in the latest earthquake.

"We worry the house could collapse anytime. We thought we had already experienced it once in Hualien and it would not hit us again, because God has to be fair. We are frightened. We are so nervous," she said.

(With inputs from agencies)