By Faith Gonia
In early April, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Taiwan. The massive natural disaster was the largest earthquake the country had experienced for a quarter of a century, leaving residents scrambling to recover as over 29 aftershocks hit the area.
Tragically, over 1000 individuals were injured as a result of the quake. Damage spanned throughout a nearly one-hundred mile radius from the epicenter—buildings collapsed, officials lost contact with victims, landslides blocked infrastructure, and nine people passed away.
Damaged buildings left hundreds stranded; a day following the earthquake, rescuers in a helicopter were able to reach 6 stuck in a mining area, as well as 400 in a hotel.
Due to the country’s frequent occurrences of earthquakes, residents of Taiwan have undergone training for the unexpected. Nevertheless, the severe quake that hit the East Asian country shocked even those accustomed to the Earth’s tremors:
Keng Hsien-hsuen was sleeping in her fifth-floor apartment when the earthquake hit. Despite experiencing Taiwan’s earthquakes before, she recalls her fear, explaining, “I’ve grown accustomed to (earthquakes). But today was the first time I was scared to tears by an earthquake.”
As of mid-April, Taiwan continues to recover from the record-breaking quake.