HUALIEN, Taiwan — At least nine people are dead after Taiwan's strongest earthquake in 25 years hit the nation early Wednesday.
As of 5 p.m., officials are searching for 50 people who were last seen heading to a national park in four minivans.
Taiwan's National Fire Agency said 71 people are trapped in two mines in Hualien.
"People are kind of terrified," said Chih-Ching Yeh.
Yeh was born and raised in Taiwan and moved to Utah years ago. She said her friends and family are OK.
Her friends sent her pictures of their apartment which shows tiles broken off the walls and a destroyed elevator.
"We would have at least 100 earthquakes a year but the big one was 25 years ago," said Yeh. "That killed a lot of people on the island. Everyone has PTSD from that one I believe."
Fan-Chi Lin distinctly remembers the 1999 Jiji Earthquake – the worst earthquake to hit Taiwan.
"It was the middle of the night, I'm sleeping. I think it's four in the morning. It just starts shaking, all the buildings crumbling," said Lin.
As for Wednesday's earthquake, his brother sent him a photo of his office in a mess.
"I thought maybe some robber, somebody got into his office," he said. "I was like, 'What's going on?'"
His family lives on the west side of the island while most of the destruction is on the east.
"It's mixed feelings. In one way, I feel like my family are OK, but of course I also feel bad for the rest of the people of Taiwan," he said.
Lin researches and teaches seismic data at the University of Utah.
He hopes to one day bring along his students to study Taiwan's earthquakes and apply it to the potential seismic hazard here in Utah.
