Rescue operations are underway in eastern Taiwan following a powerful earthquake, the strongest to hit the island in decades, leaving over 600 people stranded.
With the number of injured surpassing 1,000, aftershocks continue to shake the region, particularly Hualien County, where the quake struck with a magnitude of 7.4, resulting in at least nine fatalities, building collapses, and landslides.
Residents like Hong Changyi are grappling with the devastation. Changyi, whose liquor store was destroyed, expressed his despair, saying, "All my goods, including all my supplies on the bottom floor were destroyed.
My mind has gone blank, seeing that all of my life’s work has vanished." Despite the destruction, the relatively low death toll and limited damage provide some relief.
Efforts are focused on rescuing people trapped in a quarry in Hualien and those stranded in mountain gorges.
By midday Thursday, all 64 people trapped at the Heping quarry had been evacuated safely. Dramatic rescues have been carried out, including one where a helicopter airlifted six workers from a narrow outcrop of rock high up in the mountains.
Among the stranded were 50 employees of the Silks Place Hotel Taroko, who were reported safe after initially being unreachable.
The full extent of the damage is still being assessed, with some roads and railways closed. Videos and images show collapsed buildings in Hualien and sections of the Suhua highway completely crumbled or blocked.
The quake, the strongest since 1999, has prompted residents to sleep outside due to fear of aftershocks. Deng Huimei, a resident whose house was damaged, described the scene, saying, "It was a mess...huge cracks had appeared along the side of the staircase and chunks of wall that had fallen off were all over the ground."
While most rail services have resumed, the cleanup and assessment of hazardous buildings continue. Taiwan, with about 23 million people, faces a challenging recovery process, especially in Hualien County, home to around 300,000 people.
The quake's impact serves as a reminder of the region's vulnerability to seismic activity.