In addition to the collapse of residential buildings in the Hualien earthquake, many schools were severely damaged, especially National Hualien Girls' Senior High School, which has become a condemned structure.
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Structural columns and beams have deteriorated, with tiles falling and littering the floor. The steel reinforcements are also exposed, and the entire structure has completely deformed. The classrooms in this building are in imminent danger, and corridors are filled with debris.
Fortunately, while the students and parents are somewhat worried, they are not in a state of panic. One parent shares that the school administration is keeping the parents informed about the building's condition through their social media accounts.
Monday marks the first day of school after the earthquake, with some students attending classes as usual, as other school buildings were less affected.
The school principal Man-Fu Zhan (詹滿福) estimates the rebuilding cost to be around NT$220 million (close to US$7 million). He says that during the demolition of the building, the school will conduct online classes.
The Hualien Tzu Chi University also did not fare well, with the 12th-floor computer lab floor unsafe, and computers and equipment damaged. The first-floor library also had burst water pipes and ceiling marring.
The university will likely resume classes on Wednesday as faculty and staff are working tirelessly to restore the campus. The university's main buildings are structurally sound, with only some exterior tile damage.
The Hualien Girls' High School plans to continue regular classes for now, though the demolition process will start within a week and the whole school will switch to online classes.
Tzu Chi University will allow students to choose between online and on-campus classes on Tuesday, and resume normal operations starting from Wednesday.
Meanwhile, National Dong Hwa University also suffered severe building damage and is working to restore the campus to ensure student safety. The school’s College of Science and Engineering was severely damaged by a fire caused by the earthquake, with the structure deemed unsafe. The university has decided to rebuild the college at a new location.
As the schools in Hualien work to recover from the earthquake, their priority is to quickly restore campuses and ensure that the students' right to education is not impacted.