The Central Emergency Operations Center (CEOC) was set up promptly after a magnitude-6.3 earthquake hit central Taiwan this afternoon. Premier Jiang Yi-huah, who was accompanying President Ma Ying-jeou on an energy tour in southern Taiwan, immediately dispatched Vice Premier Mao Chi-kuo to the local emergency operations center in Nantou County and sent Interior Minister Lee Hong-yuan to the CEOC in Taipei to oversee operations.
The president and premier were on their way to the Third Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County when the temblor struck at 1:43 p.m. As soon as they were informed of the news at 1:50 p.m., they got in touch with Director Shih Tseng-kang of the Executive Yuan's Office of Disaster Management to keep updated on the extent of earthquake's damage.
According to the CEOC, one person was killed, two seriously wounded and 16 sustained minor injuries as of reporting time. In Nantou's Lugu Township and Zhushan Township's Ladder Scenic Area, roads blocked by landslides have been restored to traffic so that tourists stranded earlier are now able to leave the area. The Directorate General of Highways is currently clearing landslide spots along nine highways, including Tai No. 14 and Tai No. 16. The Taiwan High-Speed Rail, which suspended services this afternoon due to the quake, has also resumed operations.