Taiwan earthquake: Series of powerful aftershocks hit Hualien

[Griff]

[t]https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2018/02/07/ap_18038273827431_wide-71dfc3407c6cc2135cf288b1d01ec2815063cacb.jpg?s=1400[/t]
[QUOTE]Aftershocks continue to rattle Taiwan after a strong earthquake killed at least seven people and injured more than 250 others on Tuesday night.

A 5.7-magnitude tremor was felt late on Wednesday, in the same area where the 6.4-magnitude quake struck on the country's east coast.

Some 67 people are still unaccounted for after a number of buildings across the city of Hualien were badly damaged.

Hualien, a popular tourist hub, is home to about 100,000 people.

Images from the city showed tilted structures, scattered debris and extensive damage to roads.

Dozens of the missing are thought to be in a residential building that is leaning dramatically to one side.

Engineers have attempted to secure it using concrete blocks and steel, but efforts have been complicated by ongoing tremors and rainfall.

Rescues at the apartment block were at one stage temporarily suspended for safety reasons, but emergency responders and soldiers continued to work into the night on Wednesday.

An 80-year-old resident of the building told the AFP news agency that he was asleep in his flat on the top floor when Tuesday's earthquake struck.

"My bed turned completely vertical. I was sleeping and suddenly I was standing," Chen Chih-wei said.

At least two people died in the city's Marshal Hotel when the building's bottom floors collapsed. Authorities said on Wednesday they believed no one else was left inside.

Residents of Hualien have been told to stay away from their damaged homes, and hundreds have taken shelter in community buildings because of the aftershocks.

President Tsai Ing-wen was at the scene of the quake on Wednesday morning, where she visited hospitals and relief centres.

In a statement, Ms Tsai said that the government would help Hualien to the best of its abilities, adding that she hoped "people's lives would return to normal as soon as possible".

Pope Francis also expressed solidarity with the victims in a statement released by the Vatican.[/QUOTE]
[url]http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-42970377[/url]
[URL="https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us1000chhc#executive"]USGS data[/URL]

[spazthemax]

It's so strange when a real photo looks like CG

[Redcoat893]

Silly BBC, Such Fake News. This was obviously a Chinese sonic-based weapon, there's no denying it, I don't think anyone can prove it was not can you?

On a more serious note I can't imagine what it must have been like for those trapped inside, although I'd imagine some of the people unaccounted for will have survived, a lot of buildings in the region are built to withstand some damage from serious storms, especially residential ones. Although on the other hand if the construction is similar to that of some buildings in Hong Kong it could easily go the other way unfortunately.