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China - Taiwan Province

Taipei: Earthquake - Information Bulletin n° 1

The Disaster
A devastating earthquake measuring about 7.6 on the Richter scale struck Taiwan at 1:45 a.m. local time today, 21 September. The latest reports indicate some 1,000 dead, 3,000 seriously injured and over 5,000 trapped in fallen buildings. Officials say the casualty figures are likely to change dramatically as the full extent of the disaster becomes known. The epicentre of the earthquake was near to the city of Nantou, some 90 miles south west of Taipei, where massive destruction occurred, and hundreds of buildings collapsed.

All power was knocked out throughout the island, and major communication lines were down during the night, making it difficult to estimate the full extent of the disaster. At least six aftershocks have followed the earthquake, and warnings of tsunamis, or tidal waves, have been issued for Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, Yap (Micronesia), Guam and Palau.

Red Cross/Red Crescent Action

Emergency services in Taiwan appear to be coping well with the initial phase of the disaster. The Japanese Red Cross and the International Federation have dispatched an eight-member relief, medical and information team to assist the Taiwan Red Cross Organisation with relief and initial assessment. The team will reach Taipei late this evening local time. The International Federation, together with the Red Cross Society of China, is preparing to provide assistance to the disaster area. Red Cross and Red Crescent activities will be further co-ordinated by the Federation Secretariat in close collaboration with its Regional Delegation in Kuala Lumpur and its office in Beijing.

Needs

Because of the scale of the earthquake, and the fact that it was felt throughout the island, the extent of the disaster cannot be determined until later today. However, reports of hundreds of people trapped under debris indicate that the initial needs are for rescue and relief teams, and medical assistance. People made homeless will require emergency shelters, and tracing services for unaccounted persons will need to be established.

The Federation Secretariat will continue to issue information on the situation and needs as it becomes available. National Societies requiring further details are asked to contact desk officer Marcel Fortier in Geneva, Tel: 41 22 7304 268, or Regional Head of Delegation Johan Schaar in Kuala Lumpur (Tel 603 45 10 723).

Hiroshi Higashiura
Director
Asia & Pacific Department

Peter Rees-Gildea
Director
Operations Funding and Reporting Department

This and other reports on Federation operations are available on the Federation's website: http://www.ifrc.org