TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Hotel Fouquet in Hualien, which was tilted due to a strong earthquake early Tuesday morning, is currently being demolished, with completion expected within two weeks.
The demolition of the hotel has forced surrounding businesses, including the Zhou family dumpling shop, to temporarily suspend operations for two weeks.
The number of tourists in Hualien has noticeably decreased after the magnitude 4.03 earthquake, affecting many businesses. Now, the demolition of the Hotel Fouquet has added to their woes, forcing them to cease operations.
Teng Tzu-yu, the director of the Hualien Construction Office, said the demolition of the Hotel Fouquet will begin with the surrounding infrastructure and signals. The process will follow the same method used in the demolition of the Uranus building, which involves filling the bottom with soil for support. Technicians will monitor the process to ensure a certain level of safety is achieved before steel beams are installed for further support and demolition.
The Hotel Fouquet, located in Hualien, was severely affected by the earthquake that struck on April 23. The building's tilt made it unsafe, prompting authorities to order its immediate demolition. The process, expected to take two weeks, has had a significant impact on the local economy.
The surrounding businesses, already struggling due to a decrease in tourism following the earthquake, are now forced to halt operations due to the demolition. Among them is the popular Zhou family dumpling shop, which, like others, will remain closed for the duration of the demolition.
The Hualien Construction Office is overseeing the demolition process. Director Teng Tzu-yu explained that the process would begin with the removal of surrounding infrastructure and signals. The demolition method will mirror that used for the Uranus building, involving the use of soil for foundational support.
Technicians will monitor the process to ensure safety standards are met before steel beams are installed to provide additional support during the demolition. The local government is working to ensure the process is completed as quickly and safely as possible to minimize further disruption to the local economy.
