Two Indian nationals who went missing after the massive 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Taiwan, have been contacted by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and they are safe, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said while addressing a media briefing. Taiwan earthquake which mostly affected the sparsely populated eastern county of Hualien killed 10 people and injured more than 1000. According to a Reuters report, 18 people are still missing as rescuers comb the island's mountainous and scenic east coast.
Jaiswal while speaking on the Taiwan earthquake said, "According to our information, we were not able to contact two Indian nationals in Taiwan after the earthquake. We have been now able to get in touch with the two Indians. They are safe. This is the information I want to share on the two Indian nationals who were missing earlier."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that he is "deeply saddened" by the loss of lives due to the earthquake in Taiwan and offered condolences to the bereaved families and wished for a speedy recovery to the injured.
He said that India stands in solidarity with the people of Taiwan as they endure the aftermath and recover from it.
In a post on X, PM Modi stated, "Deeply saddened by the loss of lives due to earthquakes in Taiwan today. Our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured. We stand in solidarity with the resilient people of Taiwan as they endure the aftermath and recover from it."
In response to PM Modi's post on X, Outgoing Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and President-elect Lai Ching-Te thanked him for his support as the island was hit by a massive earthquake.
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The tremblor was the strongest earthquake that Taiwan has faced in the past 25 years. Just over 150 kilometres away in the capital of Taipei, tiles fell off older buildings, and schools evacuated their students to sports fields, equipping them with safety helmets. Visuals from the scene showed buildings tilted and rescue operations underway for those stranded or missing.