A Taiwanese medical team arrived in the Japanese town of "Suzu" to participate in disaster relief efforts following a strong earthquake that struck the western coast of Japan on January 1, resulting in dozens of deaths and others trapped amid the rubble of collapsed buildings, according to the Taiwan Central News Agency (CNA) today, Saturday.

The team, consisting of four members from the "Taiwan Disaster Medical Teams Development Association," was the first team from a Taiwanese NGO to reach the coastal town of "Suzu," which has just over five thousand inhabitants, near the epicenter of the earthquake that measured 7.6 magnitude, according to the association’s deputy director-general, Wang Wei-Ti.

Wang said that the Taiwanese team flew by helicopter to isolated areas in the town of "Suzu" yesterday, Friday, to assess the medical needs of the residents there.

The Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated the day before yesterday, Thursday, that Taiwan would donate 60 million Japanese yen (416,102 US dollars) to Japan for rescue and relief efforts after the earthquake and would open disaster relief accounts to receive donations starting today.

Foreign Minister Joseph Wu announced the donation to assist the Japanese government in rescue and reconstruction operations after the disaster, hoping that affected people can return to their normal lives as soon as possible, according to the Taipei Times yesterday, Friday.

He added, "An emergency in Japan is an emergency in Taiwan," echoing a statement by the late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The death toll from the strong earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula and surrounding areas in central Japan on the first day of the new year rose to 100 today, Saturday, while more than 200 people remain missing, according to local authorities.