‘We are lucky’: Hongkongers in Taiwan relieved after escaping unhurt amid deadly earthquake
- Immigration Department says 34 Hongkongers seek information, help as of 8pm on Thursday following the earthquake that struck 25km (16 miles) south-southeast of Hualien
- ‘It’s unforgettable. As Hongkongers, we rarely experience earthquakes and now we’ve encountered such a strong one,’ tour guide says
Hong Kong’s Immigration Department said that 34 residents had sought help as of 8pm on Thursday, a day after the deadly magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck 25km (16 miles) south-southeast of Hualien.
All of them had been confirmed safe, a department spokesman said, stressing that authorities would maintain contact and provide them with necessary support.
Alan Chan, a 70-year-old retiree living in Taipei, about 120km north of Hualien, said he was lucky he did not suffer significant financial losses during the quake that caused serious damage in the area.
Some tiles in his bathroom fell off when tremors hit. His seventh-floor flat in a more than 20-year-old building in the Neihu district also developed several cracks, which he said he believed were caused by the initial tremors or subsequent major aftershocks.
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One of the cracks nearly stretched from the ground to the ceiling of his 100-square-metre (1,000-square-foot) flat that he had bought more than 20 years ago.
