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MANILA, Philippines ? There are no reports of casualties among some 75,000 Filipinos in Taiwan after a 6.4-magnitude earthquake there Thursday morning, the Manila Economic and Cultural Office said.
MECO Resident Representative Antonio I. Basilio, in a statement, said the epicenter of the 8 a.m. tremor was in Chia Hsien, Kaohsiung County, some 45 minutes land travel from Kaohsiung City where MECO maintains an office.
The quake was also felt in varying degrees of intensity, between 1.0 and 4.0, throughout the rest of Taiwan, its government reported, Basilio said.
Basilio said there were no reports of casualties, although operation of the Kaohsiung MRT and several train routes serving the Taiwan Eastern Coast were suspended until further notice due to rock fall. No major structural damage was reported in Kaohsiung buildings other than broken ceilings and shattered glass windows.
"Fortunately, Taiwan has heightened preparedness for natural disasters like this and its building codes to help ensure structural integrity against earthquakes are among the world's most stringent," said Basilio.
He said MECO was coordinating with its offices throughout Taiwan to ensure that all Filipinos were safe and accounted for.
Meanwhile, MECO also reported a fire that hit the Everest Textile Factory and employees' dormitory in Tainan, also on Thursday morning.
"We have about 150 OFWs [overseas Filipino workers] there and the initial report is that all are safe. We are coordinating with their employer to ensure that they are all adequately taken care of," Basilio said.
