On 3rd April (Wednesday), the east coast of Taiwan was struck with a 7.4 magnitude earthquake, followed by several strong aftershocks. The quake was also the largest to hit Taiwan in 25 years and was felt in parts of China. As of reporting, the devastating earthquake killed at least nine people and injured over 1000 others.
After the earthquake, many people, including celebrities, took to social media to share their experiences. Malaysian singer VChuan (陈威全), who is currently active in Taiwan, shared his experience on Facebook. In his post, the singer-songwriter expressed his well-wishes to those affected by the earthquake while assuring fans of his safety. However, the 40-year-old said some of his prized possessions, including a trophy from an award show, broke after falling from a cupboard.
Jess Lee (李佳薇), another Taiwan-based Malaysian star, also shared her experience through Facebook. Jess even shared photos of the damage on her house walls caused by the tremors. The singer, who lives with her sister, said she rushed to save them both when she felt the earthquake and safely evacuated the building with their pet dog. However, the 36-year-old admitted that she was still shaken by the incident, saying, “After living in Taipei for so many years, this is the first time I felt such a terrible earthquake. The shaking was really exaggerated!”.
The 7.4 magnitude earthquake was so strong that parts of Mainland China could also feel the tremors. Chinese actor Peter Sheng (盛一伦) was at his home in Hangzhou, China when he felt a shake. He even took a video of the crystal chandelier at his home rocking furiously and posted it on his Weibo. He wrote, “I could feel the obvious shaking at my home in Hangzhou just now. I hope everything is safe and sound.”
Unfortunately, the disaster also brought up some negativity amongst the Taiwanese citizens. Singer Yuming Lai (賴銘偉) lamented on Facebook that he overheard two men laughing about the earthquake while in a store. The singer said the men were mocking the victims and making jokes about the disaster. He expressed anger at the duo’s insensitivity, saying, “I can’t understand how the current society has become like this.”.
Authorities and the Taiwanese government are still working on search and rescue efforts as more than 100 people are still missing. We sincerely hope for the safety and well-being of everyone affected by this crisis, and we offer our condolences to those who have lost a loved one to the disaster.
