Taiwan earthquake: 8 Singaporeans among 71 foreigners rescued

Eight Singaporeans were among 71 foreigners who were rescued by the Taiwanese authorities after being trapped in Hualien following the 7.4-magnitude earthquake that hit eastern Taiwan on April 3.

Apart from the Singaporeans, those rescued included 25 people from Germany, seven from Switzerland, seven from the US, six from Britain, four from Israel, four from the Netherlands, three from Canada, three from France, two from Australia and two from Hungary.

As at 4.30pm on April 4, a Canadian and two Australians were still missing, according to a statement by Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The ministry added that the various foreign representatives in Taiwan have expressed their gratitude to the respective government agencies and search and rescue personnel for their assistance in locating those who were rescued.

The powerful quake killed 10 and injured 1,067, with rescuers still looking for 660 believed to be trapped in a national park in Hualien.

On April 3, Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said there have been no reports of Singaporeans injured in the earthquake.

The Straits Times has contacted MFA for more information.

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.