Donations for Hualien earthquake relief top NT$30 million

Taipei, April 5 (CNA) Over NT$30 million (US$934,848) has been donated to Hualien County through local accounts to support relief efforts after the area was hit by Taiwan's strongest earthquake in 25 years, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said Friday.

The one-month donation campaign kicked off Thursday and saw NT$32,928,348 pour into the designated accounts set up by the ministry as of 11:59 p.m. Thursday night after the magnitude 7.2 earthquake rocked the island Wednesday morning.

More than NT$21 million in donations had been made through Line Pay and NT$4.89 million had been made through online fundraising platform WaBay, while NT$6.45 million had been transferred to a Land Bank of Taiwan account, the Taiwan Foundation for Disaster Relief said in a statement Friday.

● Local, central governments set up earthquake aid accounts

The Line Pay and WaBay donation platforms were open starting at 7 p.m. Thursday.

In the same statement, the foundation thanked the Ministry of Finance and Financial Information Service Co. for waiving interbank transaction fees for donation transfers, ensuring that all money donated will go to relief efforts.

Donors who were charged a transaction fee will receive a refund within a month, the relief foundation said, adding that the service company has donated NT$3 million to Hualien.

CTBC Bank, Union Bank of Taiwan, Taipei Fubon Bank, and Taishin Bank have also agreed not to charge transaction fees for donations made through Line Pay, the relief foundation said.

The Land Bank of Taiwan's account will be closed on May 3, while Line Pay and WaBay will close their donation platforms on May 2 and April 30, respectively, the foundation said.

Update

April 5

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