HUALIEN (TVBS News) — National Hualien Girls' High School students returned to classes Monday (April 8), five days after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Hualien, causing significant damage to the school's infrastructure.
Despite the lingering fear from the quake, students arrived at school as usual. "I was scared," one student admitted, recalling the day of the earthquake.
Principal Chan Man-fu greeted students at the school gate, assuring them that classes would proceed normally. "Everything is as usual today," he said. However, he acknowledged that the damaged buildings would need to be assessed and rebuilt, a process still under discussion.
Fortunately, no students were in the school buildings when the earthquake occurred. The cost of rebuilding is estimated to be at least NT$200 million.
The school, which has over 1,000 students, suffered severe damage in the quake. Cracks spread across walls, steel bars were exposed, and chunks of cement littered the ground. A 45-year-old multi-purpose building was deemed unsafe due to the damage.
One student, who worked part-time in the damaged building, expressed relief that the quake occurred in the morning, not during her usual noon shift. She expects to be relocated to another building for work. She said she feels fortunate as she and her family are safe.
Despite the fear sparked by seeing their school damaged on the news, students remain hopeful. One shared that she believes everything will return to normal soon.
