Happy Holidays and Giving Tuesday/ Support People Taiwan’s Strongest Quake in 25 Years

Taiwan has been struck by its strongest earthquake in 25 years, leaving a trail of destruction and lives hanging in the balance. Dozens are trapped in collapsed highway tunnels, and the death toll has risen to at least seven. Rescue efforts are underway, but they require critical resources to save those trapped and care for the injured.
We are raising funds to support the emergency response in Taiwan. Donations will be directed towards:
Search and rescue operations: Helping emergency crews locate and safely extricate those trapped in the tunnels.
Medical care for the injured: Providing essential medical supplies and treatment for those wounded in the quake.
Support for the displaced: Offering shelter, food, and other necessities to those who have lost their homes.
Every contribution, big or small, will bring us closer to reaching our goal and helping those affected by this tragedy.
Donate Now and Make a Difference!
$25 can provide vital medical supplies for first responders.
$50 can help ensure a family displaced by the earthquake has access to food and shelter.
$100 can support search and rescue efforts to locate those trapped in the tunnels.
The people of Taiwan need our help. Please donate generously and share this campaign to raise awareness. Together, we can help them recover and rebuild.
#TaiwanEarthquake #TunnelVictims #ReliefEffort
We also accept DAF, Stock and Cryptocurrency on our website www.opulentusa.org.
Reminder: Employees submit match request for monetary donations. If your employer requires an Employer Identification Number (EIN) 45-3088713
In addition to donating, you can also help by:
Spreading awareness on social media.
Thank you for your compassion and generosity.

Full News Story:

Rescuers inTaiwanscrambled to free dozens of people trapped in highway tunnels after the island was struck by itsstrongest earthquakein 25 years Wednesday, killing at least sevenand injuring hundreds of others.
The powerful 7.4 magnitude tremor shook the island’s east coast, hitting at 7:58 a.m. local time 18 kilometers (11 miles) south of Hualien city and at a depth of 34.8 kilometers (21 miles), according to the US Geological Survey. It was followed by several strong aftershocks with tremors felt across the island, including by CNN staff in the capital Taipei.
Taiwan’s National Fire Agency (NFA) said at least seven people were killed, 736 injured and 77 others remain trapped in road tunnels following the quake. The severity of the injuries remains unclear.

All the deaths were in Hualien County, among them three hikers killed by falling rocks in the tourist hotspot Taroko Gorge, the NFA said. Falling rocks also killed a truck driver in front of a tunnel on the east coast’s Suhua Highway, it added.

Most of those trapped are in two road tunnels in northern Hualien County, the NFA said. Two German nationals are stranded in a third tunnel in the county, it said.
The 400-meter Jinwen Tunnel, where 60 people are trapped, is one of more than a dozen that thread the Suhua Highway, a scenic but treacherous and narrow road that runs for 118 kilometers (73 miles) along the east coast.
Meanwhile, rescuers were in route to 12 people, including two Canadians, stuck on a trail in Taroko Gorge.

Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration spokesperson warned that powerful aftershocks as high as magnitude 7 are expected to occur until the end of the week.
“There was really strong shaking… We quickly turned off the gas and electricity and opened the door. It was really strong. It felt like the house would fall down,” Taipei resident Chang Yu-lin said on CNN affiliate Taiwan Plus.
Chen Nien-tzu, also in Taipei, said, “It was really wild.”
“It’s been a long time since we’ve had an earthquake, so it felt really scary,” she said on Taiwan Plus.

The quake prompted initial tsunami warnings in Taiwan, southern Japan and the Philippines, with waves less than half a meter observed along some coasts and prompting airlines to suspend flights. All tsunami warnings were later lifted.
In Taiwan, military personnel were dispatched to help with disaster relief and schools and workplaces suspended operations as aftershocks hit the island, according to the Defense Ministry.

Taiwan’s outgoing President Tsai Ing-wen said Wednesday she had ordered her administration to “immediately” get “on top of the situation and understand local impacts as soon as possible.”
Tsai also told the administration to “provide necessary assistance, and work together with local governments to minimize the impact of the disaster.”
Taiwan, a self-ruled island east of mainland China, is home to about 23 million people, most of whom live in the industrialized cities of its west coast, including the capital.
The island is regularly rocked by earthquakes due to its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire, which runs around the edge of the Pacific Ocean and causes massive seismic and volcanic activity from Indonesia to Chile.
Wednesday’s quake is the strongest to hit Taiwan since 1999, according to the Central Weather Administration. That year, a 7.7 magnitude quake hit south of Taipei, killing 2,400 people and injuring 10,000 others.

The full extent of the damage is still being assessed, with road and rail closures curtailing access to the quake’s epicenter in Hualien County.
More than 100 buildings were damaged across the island, the National Fire Agency said, with about half of those in Hualien County.
Search and rescue operations were ongoing Wednesday afternoon at the nine-story Uranus Building that had partially collapsed, trapping residents, Hualien County Magistrate Hsu Chen-wei told reporters. So far, 22 people had been rescued from the building, according to the NFA.
More than 91,000 households are without electricity, according to Taiwan’s Central Emergency Command Center. The government operated Taipower Company is working to restore power, it added.

Footage posted on social media showed several collapsed buildings in Hualien and residents helping trapped people escape through the window of a damaged apartment complex.
The quake struck during the morning rush hour, with videos showing vehicles bouncing on a vigorously shaking highway, an overpass swaying in Taipei, and commuters struggling to stand inside a juddering Taipei metro train.
Meanwhile, video broadcast by CNN affiliate TVBS showed cellphone and security camera footage of the moment tremors struck homes and businesses across the island. One clip showed power lines swaying violently above a street and another saw chandeliers shaking in a restaurant.