Six people were rescued by helicopter after being trapped in a mining area during an earthquake in Taiwan. Twenty-six out of 50 hotel workers traveling to a resort in Taroko National Park have been found, with some seen waving from the side of a road near a crushed minibus. Rail service to the Hualien area was restored following the earthquake, the strongest to hit Taiwan since 1999.
Taiwan has implemented measures to improve earthquake preparedness and response since the devastating 1999 earthquake. These include enforcing building codes and educating residents on evacuation procedures. These efforts have resulted in fewer casualties compared to earthquakes of similar strength in other countries.
The approach of combining top-down measures with bottom-up responses to disaster management has been successful in Taiwan and can be applied globally. The importance of preparedness and planning before disasters occur cannot be understated, as it significantly impacts the outcome of such events. Lessons learned from Taiwan’s earthquake response can be utilized in earthquake-prone areas globally, including in the United States.
Jennifer Jett, the Asia Digital Editor for NBC News, contributed to this report along with information from Andy Yeh and Reuters.
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