Wed 03 April 2024:
Taiwan has been jolted by its biggest earthquake in a quarter-century, triggering tsunami warnings for the self-ruled island, Japan and the Philippines.
The earthquake on Wednesday shook buildings off their foundations and led to a landslide in the eastern part of the island. At least two buildings in the eastern city of Hualien collapsed.
In the capital Taipei, vehicles pulled over on the side of the road and the city’s subway service was briefly suspended, while tiles were thrown from older buildings and furniture was knocked over with the force of the quake.
A series of aftershocks were felt in the capital about 15 minutes later and continued over the next hour.
An earthquake measuring 7.5 magnitude hit off Taiwan’s eastern coast at 7.58am (23:58 GMT) and was felt in the capital Taipei as well as in southern Japan, eastern China and the Philippines.
Authorities in Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines issued tsunami warnings, which were… pic.twitter.com/82uAfU66YJ
— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) April 3, 2024
Authorities did not immediately report casualties.
Taiwanese authorities issued a tsunami alert for coastal areas, calling on residents to be “vigilant”, and said aftershocks could continue for the next three to four days due to the intensity of the earthquake.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JAM) said the magnitude of the quake was 7.7, up from an earlier estimate of 7.5.
Quake was the biggest to hit Taiwan since 1999
Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration said the earthquake registered the second-highest intensity of an “Upper 6” in Hualien county, on the 1-7 intensity scale.
In an Upper 6 earthquake, most unreinforced concrete-block walls collapse and people find it impossible to remain standing or move without crawling, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
An earthquake measuring 7.5 magnitude hit off Taiwan’s eastern coast at 7.58am (23:58 GMT) and was felt in the capital Taipei as well as in southern Japan, eastern China and the Philippines. pic.twitter.com/jGv9cEBdKB
— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) April 3, 2024
More than two dozen buildings collapsed, more than half in Hualien
The area is sparsely populated but the main city has a population of more than 100,000 people.
The fire service says about 20 people are trapped and rescue work is continuing.
Videos and photos of the damage are being shared on social media.
Tsunami warnings lifted in Japan, Philippines, Taiwan
Japan’s weather agency said several small tsunami waves reached parts of the southern prefecture of Okinawa, before downgrading its earlier tsunami warnings.
The Philippines’s Seismology Agency also lifted a warning for residents in coastal areas of northern Batanes, Cagayan, Ilocos Norte and Isabela provinces.
Taiwan also issued a tsunami warning but reported no damage and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii said the risk of a damaging tsunami had “now passed”.
Taiwan meteorological agency warns of strong aftershocks
The Seismological Center of Taiwan’s meteorological agency has warned that the island could face aftershocks with a magnitude of between 6.5 and 7.0 over the next three to four days.
At least 25 aftershocks have been registered since the initial quake, according to Taiwan’s central weather administration.
The China Earthquake Networks Center recorded five aftershocks of about 5 magnitude in Taiwan within an hour of the first quake.
Buildings collapse in Hualien, about 18km north of quake epicentre
The city is well-known with international tourists because it’s the gateway to Taroko Gorge, one of Taiwan’s most scenic spots.
Local media on Wednesday shared images of partially collapsed buildings that had been knocked off their foundations and left tilted at angles of between 60 and 70 degrees.
Hualien is often hit by earthquakes.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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