Taiwanese authorities have not provided details about the condition of those trapped after the earthquake, but said rescue efforts are underway, CNN reported.
According to the Taiwan Fire Agency (NFA), a 7.4-magnitude earthquake that hit the richter killed at least seven people and injured more than 700 others. Among the injured, 132 were in Hoa Lien district, near the center of the earthquake.
The earthquake damaged 125 buildings across the island, according to the Taiwan Fire Agency. About half of the damaged buildings are in Hoa Lien district.
Hoa Lien District official Chen-wei informed at a press conference on the same day that 4 buildings in the district had partially collapsed. Residents from the three buildings have been safely evacuated and search and rescue continue at the 9-storey Uranus building that tilted to the right after the ground floor collapsed.
The Taiwan Fire Agency (China) said that 22 people had been rescued from the Uranus Building and that authorities were still trying to contact the remaining resident.
Taiwan (China) just experienced the strongest earthquake in 25 years at 8:58 a.m. on April 3. The center of the earthquake was 18km south of Hoa Lien city, at a depth of 34.8km, according to the US Geological Survey.
Following the main earthquake, a number of strong aftershocks were recorded across the island, including Taipei. Severe earthquakes of up to level 7 may occur in the following days.
A 7.4-magnitude richter hit the island's east coast, collapsing buildings and triggering a Tsunami warning across the island, but it was later lifted.
The Tsunami warning also caused airlines and airports to temporarily suspend flights, after which flights were resumed.
Taiwan (China) is often shaken by earthquakes due to its location on the Pacific Ring Road. This is home to the world's most active volcanoes. This is also where earthquakes occurred due to the tectonic plates colliding, releasing sudden energy leading to shocks.
The Pacific Ring of Fire extends along a 40,000km artery from the boundary of the Pacific Ocean to smaller areas such as the Philippine Sea, to Cocos and Nazca along the edge of the Pacific Ocean.
