China News Service, Hualien, April 4th: Title: 24 hours of strong earthquake in Hualien: stabilizing amid "non-stop shaking"
China News Service reporter Yang Chengchen
Since the earthquake occurred at 7:58 a.m. on the 3rd, aftershocks have continued near Hualien, Taiwan. "Never-stop shaking" is the most intuitive feeling for people in Hualien.
In the past 24 hours, the largest earthquake in Taiwan in the past 25 years has killed 9 people and caused more than 1,000 people to suffer minor or serious injuries. More than 140 people are still trapped.
Since the morning of the 3rd, highway and rail transportation from Taipei to Hualien have been interrupted due to the earthquake. In particular, many landslides occurred on the Suhua Highway (from Yilan Suao to Hualien Xiulin), and a bridge broke. Fu Kunqi, the general convenor of the Chinese Kuomintang caucus of Taiwan's legislative body and former county magistrate of Hualien County, who has surveyed the scene from the air, said that based on the current extent of the damage, it is expected to take several months to completely clear it.
As for air transportation, a reporter from China News Service took a temporary overtime flight of UNI Air from Taipei to Hualien on the evening of the 3rd. On the same day, relevant departments of the Taiwan authorities approved three overtime flights. Early on the morning of the 4th, you could see from the city that a flight was landing at the local airport. According to the Civil Aviation Department of the Taiwan authorities, it is the peak transportation period during the Qingming Festival, and airlines have tight capacity. However, the two airlines, Mandarin Airlines and UNI, which mainly operate Taiwan's internal routes, both added extra flights to Hualien on the 4th.
On April 3, a strong earthquake occurred in the waters of Hualien County, Taiwan. The Uranus Building on Xuanyuan Road in Hualien City tilted severely. Photo by China News Service reporter Yang Chengchen
Since the earthquake occurred near the morning rush hour, many people in Hualien felt the strong earthquake on the roads. Ms. Wang, who runs a car rental business, said that the earthquake caused obvious undulations and shaking on the road surface, and the intensity was the most severe among recent earthquakes.
In the urban area, as of 9:10 pm on the 3rd, with the body of the last trapped person recovered, the search and rescue work of the severely tilted Uranus Building came to an end. Wu Kunru, a staff member of the county government, told a reporter from China News Service that this also means that the post-disaster reconstruction work in Hualien City has officially started.
At about 9:10 pm on April 3, in Hualien City, the search and rescue team completed the search and rescue work of the Uranus Building and evacuated the scene. Photo by China News Service reporter Yang Chengchen
Due to the suspension of work and classes after the earthquake, a large number of restaurants and shops in Hualien City were closed on the 3rd. On the morning of the 4th, the morning market on Boai Road, about 400 meters away from the Uranus Building, resumed its flow of people. In front of the vegetable stall, nearby residents selected zucchini, lettuce, cauliflower, spinach and other vegetables. The owner, Ms. Liu, told reporters that these dishes were all supplied by the Hualien County Vegetable Marketing Cooperative in the morning.
After the earthquake, the water and electricity supply of many buildings in Hualien City was affected, and the bathroom of the B&B where the reporter stayed was also leaking. Mr. Lin, who came to the morning market to buy goods early in the morning, told reporters that his home's water and electricity had also been affected. It has been repaired and the basic needs of life are securely supplied. "The lives of relatives and friends in the city are basically fine, but some homes have been damaged to varying degrees."
In front of the fruit stall, customers on motorcycles come to buy from time to time. Behind the stalls is the Uranus Building, which has tilted about 45 degrees. It is understood that the relevant units will start demolition after inspection by structural engineering technicians and prosecutors.
On April 4, at the morning market on Boai Road in Hualien City, Taiwan, many residents went out to buy food, and most convenience stores and restaurants on the street also resumed operations. Photo by China News Service reporter Yang Chengchen
Currently, the trapped people are concentrated in the Hualien Mountains where Taroko Park is located. Zheng Minggang, a resort hotel owner, told reporters on the afternoon of the 3rd that he was not on the mountain that day because he was back in the city for business. More than 100 people, including tourists, staff, and people around the hotel, were trapped, and there were no casualties. At 9:45 a.m. on the 4th, news came from Zheng Minggang that the trapped people had been safely evacuated.
The East China Longitudinal Valley, where Hualien is located, is the convergence zone of the Eurasian continental plate and the Philippine Sea plate. Geological activities have always been significant. The earthquake became a natural disaster that Hualien people had to face head-on. In recent years, Hualien has suffered frequent severe earthquakes, and the strong earthquake on February 7, 2018 also caused the building to collapse.
The 4th is the first day of Taiwan’s Tomb Sweeping Day holiday. Tourists from all over the country who were originally scheduled to go to Hualien for vacation had to change their itineraries. Starting early that morning, urban reconstruction and mountain rescue work were being carried out simultaneously. Although aftershocks continue, the overall local situation is stabilizing. Open-minded and optimistic seaside residents look forward to life returning to normal. (over)