TAINAN (TVBS News) — Many residents from Nansi District (楠西區) in Tainan City (台南市) avoided returning home on Tuesday (Jan. 21) and spent the night in emergency shelters, after a magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck southern Taiwan earlier that day.
The earthquake inflicted severe damage on the Nansi District Office (楠西區公所), where walls cracked and the third-floor meeting room's ceiling nearly collapsed. Luo Chao-sheng (羅朝勝), the district office's chief secretary, emphasized the extensive damage, noting that structural engineers must assess the full extent of the damage. Preliminary repair costs could reach several million New Taiwan dollars.
On Zhongzheng Road (中正路), the Beiji Temple's (北極殿) Qilin statue shattered, and convenience stores like 7-Eleven and Hi-Life suffered ceiling collapses, forcing closures. In the aftermath, 15 residents, reluctant to return home, sought refuge at the Nansi District Elderly Cultural Center (楠西區老人文康中心).
One resident, speaking with family over the phone, expressed relief for being safe. However, as debris and broken glass littered Boai Road (博愛路), residents urged the government to expedite reconstruction efforts, hoping to reunite with family for the upcoming New Year.
