A powerful earthquake struck off Taiwan's east coast on Wednesday, killing at least four people.
The 7.4 magnitude quake caused multiple buildings to collapse in Hualien, the city closest to the epicentre, where rescue efforts are taking place.
The strongest tremor to hit the island in 25 years was also felt as far as Taiwan's mountainous interior, which was rocked by huge landslides.
In the capital Taipei, footage showed buildings shaking violently.
"The earthquake is close to land and it's shallow. It's felt all over Taiwan and offshore islands... It's the strongest in 25 years," said Wu Chien Fu, the director of Taipei's Seismology Centre.
Rescuers pull survivors from collapsed buildings in deadly Taiwan earthquake.
Magnitude 7.4
Region TAIWAN
Date time 2024-04-02 23:58:09.9 UTC
Location 23.872 ; 121.614
Depth 20 km
Distance 99 km E of Taichung, Taiwan / pop: 1,040,000 / local time: 07:58:09.9 2024-04-03
12 km SSE of Hualien City, Taiwan / pop: 350,000 / local time: 07:58:09.9 2024-04-03
Taiwan's national fire agency said four people died in Hualien County and at least 57 were injured in the quake that struck just before 8 a.m. The local United Daily News reported three hikers died in rockslides in Taroko National Park near the offshore epicenter.
ReplyDeleteA five-story building in Hualien appeared heavily damaged, collapsing its first floor and leaving the rest leaning at a 45-degree angle. In the capital Taipei, tiles fell from older buildings and in some newer office complexes, while debris fell from some building sites. Schools evacuated their students to sports fields, equipping them with yellow safety helmets. Some also covered themselves with textbooks to guard against falling objects as aftershocks continued.
The 7.7-, 6.6- and 6,3-magnitude earthquakes were registered in the vicinity of Taiwan early on Wednesday, and tremors were felt on the southern Japanese islands of Okinawa and Miyako, prompting authorities to issue tsunami warnings for the islands, data of the Japan Meteorological Agency showed.
ReplyDeleteThe 7.7-magnitude earthquake was recorded at 8:58 a.m. local time on Wednesday (23:58 GMT on Tuesday) near the eastern coast of Taiwan at a "very shallow depth," the agency said without providing further details. The second earthquake was recorded in less than 15 minutes - at 9:11 a.m. local time.
The 6.3-magnitude earthquake was recorded in the same region at 9:35 a.m. local time at a depth of 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) underwater.