HEAVY TOLL

Southland Times, Issue 25268, 24 April 1935, Page 7

HEAVY TOLL

FORMOSA ’QUAKE MOUNTING DEATH ROLL 100,000 PEOPLE HOMELESS WIDE AREA LAID WASTE (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright.) Tokio, April 22. The latest official earthquake figures show that 3185 are dead and 9478 injured. About 39,000 houses were destroyed or partially so. It is estimated that the homeless approach 100,000. Relief workers are now beginning to cope with the situation. There have been 40 minor shakes recorded since 6 a.m. on Sunday. Despatches from Taihoku (Formosa) report that people are huddling in panic, fearing further shocks, and there are alarming rumours of tidal waves. Although the entire island was shaken, the biggest toll was confined to an area 40 miles in diameter north of Taichu, especially the Toyahara district. Naiho reports 600 dead and Karnoika 450 dead. The latter town is now burning. All British missionaries have been located and are safe. At Toyahara, where 1300 ' are dead and 90 per cent, of the houses have been razed, few have escaped injury. Scores of thousands have not been fed since the first shock. Hundreds of children have been made orphans and 100 of these were found in one place wailing beside their dead parents. The damage at present is estimated at 10,000,000 yen. The industries apparently have not been badly damaged. The Government has allocated 16,000,000 yen to relief and reconstruction. An aeroplane survey shows that the earthquake devastated 2000 square miles of country from Shirchiku to Taichu inland as far as the central mountain range. It is apparent that many villages have been wiped out and a score of men have been trapped in gold, copper and coal mines in the affected areas. The Air Corps dropped relief bundles of medical supplies to the villagers. Mountaineers, mostly Chinese and Taiwanese, were trapped when, landslides buried tunnels and mountain passes, thus preventing relief workers establishing contact with them. Many sections of the island’s railway are a total loss. Owing to a shortage of coffins the villagers are using beer boxes. Minor shocks continue. FURTHER SHOCKS ENORMOUS DAMAGE. (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright.) (Rec. 8.50 p.m.) Tokio, April 23. Carrier pigeons are bringing the latest details of the results of the earthquake. The damage to property is estimated at £5,500,000. Huge fissures appeared, engulfing whole villages. The natives call them the devil’s laughing mouths. Further shocks were recorded on Monday.