Quake Fractures Yuchang Highway Surface 台東玉長公路龜裂 屏東1200戶一度停電

The highway connecting Taitung's Changbin and Hualien's Yuli was sealed after cracks were found on the pavement. Shrimp farmers in Taitung also said they might sustain total losses of NT$ 2 million.

Numerous cracks have appeared on the road surface, and the damage extends for several meters. Earth and rocks have also slid down adjacent slopes, and trees have been toppled. This is the 32.5-kilometer mark of Yuchang Highway, which connects Taitung’s Changbin Township and Hualien’s Yuli Township. The damage was caused by the magnitude 6.6 earthquake on March 23. The entire road has been closed as a precautionary measure.
 

Reporter: “Do you know whether it’s usable right now?”Resident: “No, I don’t know right now.”

The highest intensity was recorded in Taitung. Many residents of Chenggong Township ran out into the streets when the quake struck, not wanting to risk staying inside. They were afraid there would be aftershocks.

Reporter: “Why aren’t you going inside to sleep?”Tourist: "I’m afraid."

The earthquake also caused chaos in stores, with bottles of alcohol and drinks that were neatly shelved smashing into the ground and breaking. Some shelves even toppled, and the quake also dislodged ceiling panels. Pipes were exposed, and lights remained connected just by wires. The situation was just as chaotic in another store, with broken bottles of alcohol spread out over the entire floor. Water pipes at residences also ruptured, causing water to leak and drip down from roofs. Toilets, sinks, and water heaters fell over. 

At a shrimp farm, the quake ruptured water pipes, and 100,000 shrimps and one million shrimp fry flowed away with the water. The losses exceed NT$2 million.

Chen Chien-shen, Shrimp Farmer: “All the water flowed out, and the ponds are completely dry right now. All the shrimp flowed away with the water.”

At Donghe Fire Station, large cracks appeared in the wall and concrete chunks fell down, exposing the red bricks inside. The office and dorm had been undergoing renovations to make them more earthquake-resistant. The quake also warped an aluminum door used by on-duty firefighters, preventing it from opening. They had to tear it down. Pingtung County also reported incidents from the quake, including the tripping of a power substation feeder.

Resident: “I didn’t sleep at all. ( Reporter: "The entire night?" ) Yes. I was on alert, because I was afraid that it would trip again after Taipower fixed it. I monitored it for a long time, until morning.”

A power substation feeder tripped after the earthquake, cutting off power to 1,203 households. Taipower personnel rushed the repairs, and power has already been restored to all the households.
 

路面大面積龜裂，一路沿著裂痕走，延綿好幾公尺，道路出現明顯高低落差，邊坡還有土石滑落、樹木倒塌，這是串連台東長濱和花蓮玉理的玉長公路受到地震影響，也傳出災情，目前全線封閉、禁止通行，預計下午5時搶通。

記者問：「能不能過啊?目前都不知道?」遊客說：「目前都不知道。」

地震劇烈晃動，也讓台東民眾很有感，成功鎮民嚇得跑到街上，不敢待屋內，到當地遊玩的旅客，也有人從睡夢中驚醒，逃出旅館，坐在大街、驚魂未定，深怕還有餘震。

記者問：「怎麼不進去睡? 」遊客說：「我不敢。」

同樣災情慘重還有成功鎮的超商，原本排列整齊的酒飲，掉落摔碎，貨架倒塌、物品散落一地，就連天花板也被震落、管線外露，電燈只剩電線相連，另一間超商現場也是一片狼藉，酒碎滿地，流滿整個地面。

地震更讓成功鎮多處民宅水管破裂，大量漏水，從屋頂不斷宣洩而下，屋內則有馬桶、洗臉台、熱水器整個掉落，浴室亂成一團，甚至當地還有蝦農，飼養的白蝦因為地震，水管嚴重爆裂，10多萬尾大蝦、100萬尾蝦苗跟著水流走，損失超過200萬。

蝦農陳建紳表示：「水全部都溢出來，現在池子全部都乾了，蝦都漏完了。」

牆面出現大裂縫，水泥面掉落，肉眼可見牆內紅磚，消防隊東河分隊辦公廳舍正在做耐震補強的，如今也成了受災戶，值班鋁門甚至被震到變形，無法開啟，只能先拆下來繼續值勤，只見地震影響範圍大，不只台東，屏東市也傳出變電所饋線跳脫。

民眾提到：「我都沒有睡，（記者問：整晚都沒睡？）對，都在顧，因為台電處理好之後，就怕說會不會再跳，所以顧了很久，就到早上。」

台電屏東區營業處副處長曾淑媚指出，「屏東市在今天凌晨1點42分，因為地震引起變壓器故障、線路跳脫，一度有1203戶停電，在7點08分的時候已經全數完成搶修復電工作。」

西屏變電所在地震發生後饋線跳脫，造成1203戶一度停電，台電人員緊急到場搶修後已經全數復電。