Quake Rattles Taiwan as Typhoon Aid Arrives

12 injured in Kaohsiung quake

(NEWSER) - A strong earthquake jolted southern Taiwan this morning, causing widespread damage, at least a dozen injuries, and serious disruption to transportation and communications. The 6.4 quake was the largest to hit the Kaohsiung region in over a century, AP reports. At least 15 aftershocks followed within hours. Experts say the quake wasn't geologically related to the massive quake that hit Chile over the weekend. More»

(AP) - Taiwan has agreed to let the Dalai Lama visit the island to comfort survivors of a devastating typhoon, a decision that could anger China. Beijing considers the Buddhist spiritual leader a "splittist" for promoting autonomy in the Chinese region of Tibet. Allowing him to visit Taiwan could undermine the rapidly improving relations between Beijing and Taipei, which have been developing close business ties after decades of enmity. More»

(NEWSER) - Flooding and mudslides caused by Typhoon Morakot killed over 500 people in Taiwan, President Ma Ying-jeou said today in the country's first firm estimate of casualty figures. Some 400 people are believed to have been buried alive in a single village, the BBC reports. The military has now reopened a road into the worst-hit district, but officials believe nobody trapped since Monday's mudslides has survived. More»

(NEWSER) - Some 700 people feared dead in Taiwan's mudslides have been found alive and rescued from the disaster zone, the BBC reports. Military helicopters have been evacuating people from rural areas in southern Taiwan, where mudslides caused by Typhoon Morakot engulfed several mountain villages. Hundreds of other people are still missing and feared dead or trapped in their buried homes. More»

Taiwan, Japan, Philippines, China hit; at least 35 dead

(AP) - A typhoon-spawned mudslide engulfed a mountain village in southern Taiwan, burying up to 600 people, a police official and a rescued villager said today. Earlier, Typhoon Morakot had struck the Philippines, leaving at least 22 dead. Another typhoon slammed into Japan's west coast today, bringing heavy rain that triggered floods and landslides that left at least 13 people dead and another 10 reported missing. More»