What Canadians in Taiwan should do after the deadly earthquake

The federal government is offering advice to Canadians in Taiwan, where a major earthquake killed at least nine people.

Canadian citizens in Taiwan should first register with Global Affairs Canada, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly advised in a post on X on Wednesday.

The government says the free service enables Canadians to receive important information about an emergency abroad, a personal emergency at home, a natural disaster or civil unrest. All personal information obtained is kept confidential, it added.

Those who need consular assistance should contact the 24-7 Emergency Watch and Response Centre.

To request emergency consular assistance, Canadians can email sos@international.gc.ca or submit their information through a contact form online.

Global Affairs Canada notes it doesn't deal with questions about Canadian visas or immigrating to Canada, which are handled by Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

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Those outside Canada can call the Trade Office of Canada in Taiwan at 886 (2) 8723-3000. It's located at 6F, Hua-Hsin (Citibank building), No. 1 SongZhi Road, Xinyi District in Taipei.

The following are the emergency services contact in Taiwan: 110 (police); 119 (medical assistance); 119 (firefighters).

Canadians can call 1-613-996-8885 (collect, where available), or the toll-free number 00-800-2326-6831 to request help. The government says the toll-free number may not work in some cases and some pay phones may require additional payment.

Those inside Canada can call 613-996-8885, or 1-800-387-3124 (toll-free from the U.S. and Canada only) if they need any consular assistance.

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Other ways to request help include:

• SMS: 1-613-686-3658 (carrier charges may apply);
• WhatsApp: 1-613-909-8881 (carrier charges may apply);
• Telegram: Canada Emergency Abroad;
• Signal: 1-613-909-8087; and
• TTY (teletypewriter) for persons with a hearing loss: 613-944-1310, or 1-800-394-3472 (toll-free from the U.S. and Canada only).

Ahead of his housing announcement Wednesday in Toronto, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered his support to people affected by the earthquake.

"Canada stands ready to provide support and has reached out to Taiwanese officials," he said. "We're also engaging to make sure affected Canadians have the support they need."

According to Global Affairs Canada, 5,518 Canadians in Taiwan are currently listed on Canada's registration service. Since registration is voluntary, it may not reflect the actual number of Canadians in Taiwan, it added. Its Emergency Watch and Response Centre has so far received five inquiries related to the earthquake.

"Global Affairs Canada is aware of an earthquake in Taiwan and is closely monitoring the situation," said Grantly Franklin, spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada, in an email to CTV News. "Our thoughts are with all of those affected. Canada stands ready to assist."

In its travel advisory online for Taiwan, the government website recommends people "take normal security precautions" and noted aftershocks could occur.

"Canadians in the affected area should exercise caution, monitor local media, and follow the advice of local authorities," Franklin wrote, adding that another way to get updates is by following @TravelGoC on social media.