International: The Salvation Army Taiwan responds to earthquake
8 February 2016
The Salvation Army is supporting people affected by the 6.4 magnitude earthquake which struck the island of Taiwan in the early hours of Saturday 6 February 2016. The quake, which had its epicentre close to the southern city of Tainan, has caused several buildings to collapse and interrupted power and water supplies.
Many Taiwanese people had travelled to the city this weekend ahead of Monday’s Chinese New Year celebrations, swelling the numbers involved. Media reports suggest that 26 people died and 500 were hurt, although the number of deaths is expected to rise.
A Salvation Army team from the Tainan Corps (church) - which itself sustained structural damage during the tremors - attended an evacuation centre which is accommodating 45 tenants of a collapsed four-storey residential block. Currently, the centre has sufficient supplies and warm blankets.