I was sitting in my office on the 24th floor of a skyscraper in Taipei when the earthquake struck. The building swayed violently, and I could feel the glass windows creaking and groaning. I knew that we were in trouble.
I ducked under my desk and waited for the shaking to stop. It seemed like an eternity, but it was probably only a few seconds. When the shaking finally subsided, I emerged from under my desk and looked around. The office was in chaos. People were screaming and running around, trying to find their loved ones. The air was filled with the stench of broken glass and smoke.
I made my way downstairs and outside, where I saw that the entire city was in ruins. Buildings had collapsed, roads were buckled, and fires were burning everywhere. I could hear people crying and screaming for help. It was a scene of utter devastation.
The earthquake was the most powerful to hit Taiwan in decades. It caused widespread damage and loss of life. In the aftermath of the earthquake, I spent several days volunteering at a local relief center. I helped to distribute food and water to the victims, and I listened to their stories of survival.
One of the most moving stories I heard was from a woman named Li. She told me how she had been trapped in her collapsed apartment for two days. During that time, she heard the voices of her loved ones calling out to her, but she was too weak to respond. Finally, on the third day, she was rescued by a group of firefighters.
Li's story is just one of many that I heard during my time at the relief center. Each story was a reminder of the incredible resilience of the human spirit. Despite the devastation that the earthquake had caused, the people of Taiwan were determined to rebuild their lives and move forward.