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President directs quick earthquake response
2010/03/04 14:54:48 |
Taipei, March 4 (CNA) President Ma Ying-jeou has issued a directive for relevant government agencies to stay abreast of the latest developments and provide any necessary help in the wake of a 6.4-magnitude earthquake that hit southern Taiwan Thursday morning, according to Presidential Office spokesman Lo Chih-chiang.
Ma also activated an earthquake response mechanism and asked the National Fire Agency and the 8th Army Corps to obtain up-to-date first-hand information about the quake, Lo said.
In addition, Premier Wu Den-yih called on local government heads in southern Taiwan to submit requests for central government assistance.
Military helicopters, troops and firefighters were sent to the area to assess the damage, check for casualties and provide relief support.
The earthquake rocked southern Taiwan at 8: 18 a.m. Thursday, causing damage and power outages, as well as disruptions to transport and communications around the island.
At least 13 persons in Chiayi County were injured, including 10 students at an elementary school. Most of them were struck by falling tree branches and furniture and pieces of collapsed walls.
The temblor also caused the collapse of at least three old buildings and a bridge in Kaohsiung County. A number of fires broke out, including one at a textile factory in Tainan County that resulted in financial losses of an estimated NT$100 million.
A total of 99 schools around the country were damaged by the quake, resulting in financial losses estimated at NT$40 million, according to the Ministry of Education.
Services on the southern half of Taiwan's high-speed rail and other train services were suspended. The Kaohsiung City subway service was disrupted, but resumed later in the morning.
The quake, which was felt 400 kilometers away in Taipei City, caused power outages in the capital and disrupted the power supply to 54,000 households in the south.
The epicenter of the quake was 43 kilometers northeast of Pingtung City, at a depth of 5 kilometers, according to the Central Weather Bureau.
(By Y.L. Kao)
ENDITEM /pc
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