Rescue workers are continuing their efforts on Thursday to locate and save the nearly 700 people who are still trapped or unable to communicate following a devastating 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit Taiwan on Tuesday. The earthquake, which was registered as a 7.4 in some detection systems in the US, is the strongest to strike Taiwan in over 25 years.
The number of injured has risen to 1,067, with ten reported deaths. One of the latest victims was a 65-year-old man who was hiking at the time of the earthquake. Currently, rescue workers are focusing their efforts on a quarry and a gorge where hotel workers and tourists are trapped. The National Fire Agency is in contact with 663 trapped individuals, while another 38 people are still missing.
The city most affected by the earthquake is Hualien, with over 99,000 residents forced to spend the night outdoors or in tents due to fear of aftershocks. In total, over 961 people have been evacuated from the affected areas and more than half of them have had to be relocated. Reconstruction and relief efforts in Hualien have been prioritized by the Taiwanese government, who have allocated over NT$300 million for this purpose. The region has experienced more than 300 aftershocks so far, complicating rescue efforts even further. Authorities have warned that more aftershocks may occur in the coming days.
Despite its significant impact on the island’s infrastructure and people’s lives, Taiwan’s semiconductor manufacturing industry remains largely unaffected by this disaster. This industry plays a critical role in global chip production and has reported minimal damage to its facilities after undergoing extensive safety checks following the earthquake occurred within ten hours ago TSMC one of largest semiconductor manufacturers has restored about 70% of its production already and confirmed that none of its key equipment was damaged during this disaster which highlights Taiwan’s effort towards seismic risk prevention measures
