February 7, 2018
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) stated today (February 7, 2018) that a magnitude 6.0 earthquake on the Richter scale struck Hualien last night (February 6), resulting in casualties. The government immediately set up the Central Emergency Operation Center (CEOC) to direct rescue and relief work. The MAC has remained in close contact with the center, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and other relevant agencies. According to its preliminary assessment, two Mainlanders traveling independently in Taiwan were injured in the disaster and sent to Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital for treatment. One of the victims is in critical condition and the situation is not optimistic. The MAC and the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) urgently dispatched staff to Hualien to visit Mainlanders affected by the quake and present condolence payments. The National Immigration Agency has stationed at the disaster relief command center in Hualien to provide Mainland, Hong Kong, and Macao nationals all necessary assistance on-site for lost documents and emergency visits to Taiwan by family members of victims.
This morning, the MAC, the SEF, and the Taiwan Strait Tourism Association notified the Taiwan Affairs Office, the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits, and the Cross-Strait Tourism Exchange Association about the circumstances of the earthquake last night through existing communication channels. They also expressed that the Taiwan side would continue to verify the impact of the earthquake on Mainland nationals, make every effort to provide all necessary assistance, and promptly notify the Mainland of any latest developments.
The MAC stated that Minister Chang, on orders from the president, has instructed colleagues to follow the progress of rescue and relief closely, keep abreast of the status of the disaster's effect on mainland Chinese, Hong Kong, and Macao residents in Taiwan, and provide necessary assistance. Apart from the above-mentioned injured Mainland tourists, currently available information indicates that all Mainland spouses in Hualien are safe. One Mainland spouse whose house was damaged is staying with relatives for the time being. The MAC and the SEF will also promptly dispatch staff to express condolences and provide relevant assistance.
Minister Chang called on the nation to pray for the victims. The MAC and the SEF in conjunction with relevant agencies will continue to provide necessary assistance in accordance with the needs of the overall disaster relief operation.