Rescuers in the island of Taiwan search for survivors after a magnitude 6.9 earthquake hit Hualien county in eastern Taiwan, on September 18, 2022. The earthquake has caused at least one death. Photo: VCG

Mainland authorities extended condolences to the family members of the victims in Taiwan island, hoping the affected people will resume normal production and life as soon as possible. The Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council made the remarks after a 6.9-magnitude earthquake hit the island causing at least one death. Netizens on the mainland have expressed their best wishes for the safety of Taiwan compatriots. 

A 6.9-magnitude earthquake hit Hualien County in the island of Taiwan on Sunday afternoon, killing one person, according to Taiwan media outlet CNA. A man working at a cement factory died after a heavy object fell on him due to the earthquake, the media outlet said.

Also, two people who were rescued from a collapsed building did not show any sign of breathing or heartbeat, according to the local media outlet ettoday.net.

The quake in Hualien has injured at least 17 people, damaged three bridges and some buildings including a primary school, according to chinatimes.com. The rescue of those who have been trapped in the collapsed buildings is still ongoing as of Sunday evening. 

Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, extended concerns to the suffering of the people from the island and sent condolence to the family members of the victims and the injured, hoping the affected people will resume normal production and life order as soon as possible. 

The earthquake jolted Hualien at 2:44 pm on Sunday with the epicenter detected as being at a depth of 10 kilometers, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC), which noted that the quake was the largest ever to hit China since the beginning of this year, which was as severe as the one that hit Menyuan County in Northwest China's Qinghai Province on January 8. 

A series of earthquakes hit the Island of Taiwan since Saturday night with the earthquakes being felt most intensely in Hualien county and Taitung county. 

The quake hit Hualien on Sunday happened in the same area of the 6.5-magnitude earthquake which happened in Taitung at 9:41 pm on Saturday night. The two epicenters were 14 kilometers away from each other and the tremors were felt all across the island. 

Taitung and Hualien have been rocked by a continuous stream of minor tremors since Saturday evening. 

According to Chen Kuo-chang, director of seismological center, Taiwan's weather bureau, the earthquake on Sunday was the major earthquake while the series of earthquakes including the 6.5-magnitude one on Saturday night were foreshocks. 

At present, the frequency of aftershocks is slowing down but relatively strong aftershocks cannot be excluded. Aftershocks of 3 magnitude and above can last one month, according to the local weather department. 

Besides, 47 aftershocks have happened after the 6.5-magnitute temblor hit Taitung on Saturday night, with no major injuries reported for now. 

According to the local weather bureau, the shallow quake is of the largest scale in Taitung over the past 49 years. 

At present, railway sections affected by the quake have restored normal operation and no serious disaster has happened except for power cut, broken water pipelines and fallen ceilings. 

Tremors were also felt in Chinese mainland's coastal areas including Fujian, Guangdong, Jiangsu provinces and Shanghai. Netizens on the mainland have expressed their best wishes for the safety of Taiwan compatriots. 

"I hope all the people on the island will be safe," a mainland netizen commented. 

When some netizens from the Taiwan island posted their experience of hiding away from the quake, some mainland netizens expressed their concerns and reminded them to be cautious and take care. 

Global Times