Established Contact With Two Indians Who Went Missing After Taiwan Earthquake: MEA

The external affairs ministry (MEA) on Thursday said they have established contact with two of its nationals reported to be missing following an earthquake in Taiwan. The MEA said that both individuals are safe.

“As per our information, two persons, we were not able to establish contact in the wake of the earthquake there (in Taiwan). But now, we have established contact and they are safe,” Randhir Jaiswal, the minister spokesperson, said this in his weekly briefing in response to a question.

The strongest earthquake to strike the self-ruled nation in 25 years during the morning rush hour on Wednesday killed 10 people, injured over 1,000 people, trapped dozens of minors and caused minimal to moderate damage to infrastructure.

Taiwan may have averted a major catastrophe due to its strict building regulations and disaster awareness. Taiwan, Japan and adjoining areas are regularly hit by earthquakes as these nations lie in earthquake prone zones.

Dozens of people were still missing a day after the powerful quake and search continues for the missing. A helicopter plucked six miners to safety from a Taiwan quarry Thursday as rescuers worked to free scores of people trapped in highway tunnels.

The earthquake was centred off the coast of the rural, mountainous Hualien County where some buildings leaned at severe angles, their ground floors crushed.

The island has been shaken by over 300 strong aftershocks since the first quake, and the government warned people to be wary of landslides or rockfalls if they ventured to the countryside for Qingming, a two-day public holiday that began Thursday.

Just over 150 kilometres away in the capital of Taipei, tiles fell off older buildings, and schools evacuated their students to sports fields, equipping them with safety helmets.

Meanwhile, Jaiswal was also asked about the status of the return of the eighth Indian, who is among the eight former Indian Navy personnel recently released from jail by Qatar.

The spokesperson said, “He has certain requirements to fulfil. Once those requirements are fulfilled, he will come back”.

Qatar released the eight jailed former Indian Navy personnel 46 days after their death sentences, handed out last October, were commuted to jail terms of varying duration.