TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Air Force Command said three rescue teams from Kaohsiung, Tainan, and Pingtung were deployed aboard two C-130 cargo planes to Hualien to help in the aftermath of the 7.2 magnitude earthquake.

On Tuesday afternoon at 1 p.m., a 30-member team from Kaohsiung, a 15-member team from Tainan and a 15-member team from boarded the two planes the Air Force said. Together, they brought along 74 pieces of equipment and five dogs for search and rescue missions in Hualien, which was severely affected by the quake. 

The earthquake struck at 7:58 a.m. and had a focal depth of 15.5 kilometers, with the epicenter located 25.0 km south-southeast of the Hualien County Government.

The death toll has reached nine, while 127 remain trapped. 821 people are reported injured. This is the strongest earthquake Taiwan has seen since the 9/21 earthquake in 1999, in which 2,415 people were killed.