A powerful earthquake strikes Taiwan on Wednesday, leaving at least four people dead and nearly 60 injured. It is the strongest to hit the island in decades, caused extensive damage to buildings and triggered tsunami warnings across the region.
‘The earthquake is close to land and it’s shallow. It’s felt all over Taiwan and offshore islands,’ said Wu Chien-fu, director of Taipei’s Central Weather Administration’s Seismology Center.
Despite the devastation, Taiwan’s strict building regulations and disaster preparedness efforts helped mitigate the impact of the quake. Wu noted that the tremor was the strongest since the deadly 7.6-magnitude quake in September 1999, which claimed around 2,400 lives.
The magnitude-7.4 earthquake strikes Taiwan just before 8:00 am local time, with its epicenter 18 kilometers south of Hualien City. Tragically, three hikers were crushed to death by boulders loosened by the quake, while a truck driver lost his life to a landslide.
Social media buzzed with videos and images showing buildings swaying and collapsing as the quake struck. Kelvin Hwang, a witness in Taipei, described the tremor as “so strong.”
President Tsai Ing-wen urged coordinated efforts between local and central government agencies, with the national army providing support. The National Fire Agency confirmed the death toll and reported nearly 60 quake-related injuries.
Though initial tsunami warnings were issued for Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines, they were later lifted as the threat diminished. Japan, which experiences around 1,500 earthquakes annually, remains on high alert due to its history of seismic activity.
The quake briefly interrupted fabrication at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, the world’s largest chip maker, and halted construction work at new plants for the day.
While the majority of earthquakes in the region are mild, the severity of tsunamis depends on various factors. Japan, still reeling from the devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami, has experienced its share of seismic disasters.
As the affected regions assess the damage and begin recovery efforts, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the constant threat posed by natural disasters in this seismically active part of the world.
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