Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed anguish at the loss of lives in an earthquake in Taiwan, conveying India's solidarity with the "resilient" people of the country.

He said on X, "Deeply saddened by the loss of lives due to earthquakes in Taiwan today. Our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured. We stand in solidarity with the resilient people of Taiwan as they endure the aftermath and recover from it." The strongest earthquake in a quarter-century rocked Taiwan during the morning rush hour on Wednesday, killing nine people, trapping dozens of miners and sending some residents scrambling out the windows of damaged buildings.

The quake, which also injured hundreds, was centred off the coast of rural, mountainous Hualien County, where some buildings leaned at severe angles, their ground floors crushed.

Just over 150 km away in the capital of Taipei, tiles fell from older buildings, and schools evacuated their students to sports fields, equipping them with yellow safety helmets.

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