Two Singaporeans reported missing after Taiwan quake

SINGAPORE: Two Singaporeans are missing in Taiwan after Wednesday's (Apr 3) massive earthquake. 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said on Friday that the Singapore Trade Office in Taipei is in close contact with local authorities on the matter. 

“MFA and the Singapore Trade Office in Taipei have been in contact with the next-of-kin and are rendering consular assistance. We continue to monitor the situation closely,” MFA said.

It was reported on Thursday that eight Singaporeans were among 71 foreigners rescued after they were trapped in quake-hit Hualien.

Two of them suffered light injuries, MFA said on Friday, adding that the ministry has contacted all e-registered Singaporeans in the regions affected by the earthquake.

“Our Trade Office in Taipei continues to be in close touch with the Taiwanese authorities as rescue and relief efforts continue,” MFA said.

“We express our appreciation to the Taiwanese authorities for the quick assistance and support they have extended.”

The death toll from Wednesday's 7.2-magnitude quake has risen to 12.

Rescuers faced the threat of further landslides and rockfalls in their search for a dozen people still missing, including three foreigners of Australian and Canadian nationality.

Taiwan has been shaken by hundreds of strong aftershocks since the first quake, and the government warned people to be wary of landslides or rockfalls if they ventured to the countryside for Qing Ming, a two-day public holiday that began Thursday.

Dozens of residents in Hualien city spent a night outdoors rather than in apartments still being shaken by aftershocks, and a huge engineering operation was underway to fix damaged roads and prop up tilting buildings.