TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) spotlighted President Lai Ching-te's (賴清德) quick response to a powerful earthquake in southern Taiwan on Tuesday (Jan. 21), emphasizing the government's unwavering commitment to a rapid recovery effort just days before the Lunar New Year.
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck Taiwan at 12:17 a.m. that day, centered in Chiayi's Dapu Township (嘉義大埔鄉). Tainan (台南) endured the worst damage, with several homes collapsing and residents trapped in the rubble. Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) quickly assessed the situation, promising to use disaster funds for aid. "We hope the central government will assist, as this disaster mostly occurred in the south," Huang stated.
Legislators from Tainan were in Taipei, engaged in the Legislative Yuan's (立法院) budget review. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, 民進黨) legislator Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃) noted the severe impact on Tainan's mountainous and Nanxi District (南西區), sending her assistant to assist Mayor Huang with recovery. Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲), another DPP legislator, expressed frustration, citing videos of uninhabitable homes in Nanxi, and urged government intervention.
The quake trapped 11 people in Nanxi, who were safely rescued. The Central Weather Administration (CWA, 中央氣象署) warned residents to stay vigilant, as quakes above magnitude 5 could occur in the next three days.
