MANILA – A fourth Filipino has been reported to have suffered an injury in the magnitude 7.2 earthquake in Taiwan on Wednesday morning.
Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) office-in-charge Hans Leo Cacdac said the fourth Filipino injury, whose identity was not revealed, sustained head injuries due to falling debris.
“She is out of harm’s way and is being treated by a doctor,” Cacdac wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Friday morning.
The Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) on Thursday said three Filipinos sustained minor injuries from the quake with two of them already released from hospital.
Cacdac further said the DMW Migrant Workers Offices in Taipei, Taichung, and Kaohsiung were monitoring the situation in Taiwan and would provide assistance to OFWs who need assistance.
“The DMW’s three Migrant Workers Offices in Taiwan immediately activated protocols with Filipino communities, leaders, relevant Taiwan government agencies as well as employers and trade associations to ascertain the safety and status of Taiwan-based OFWs,” Cacdac said.
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake – which was initially reported as 7.5 – hit Taiwan’s east coast a couple of minutes before 8 a.m. on Wednesday, knocking off buildings and triggering tsunami alerts.
According to the Taipei’s Central Weather Administration’s Seismology Center, the said earthquake was the strongest to shake the island in 25 years.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHILVOLCS), on the other hand, said the magnitude 7.2 earthquake in Taiwan will not have any effect on the active fault lines in the Philippines.
“Wala pong kinalaman ‘yung lindol sa Taiwan sa mga magiging activity ng mga earthquakes po natin, sa magiging activity ng active faults. Magkaiba po ‘yan,” PHILVOLCS official Dr. Teresito Bacolcol said.
“Earthquakes are random events. So kapag gagalaw man ang mga active faults natin dito, because active sila, hindi ‘yun dahil gumalaw sa Taiwan,” he added./PN
