Taiwan hit by biggest earthquake in 25 years

Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in 25 years rocked the island on Wednesday, killing at least seven people, injuring hundreds, toppling buildings and triggering tsunami warnings across the region.

The magnitude 7.2 earthquake occurred off the eastern coast of Hualien County, where the most severe effects were felt. As of Wednesday afternoon local time, rescuers were still searching for dozens of people trapped in collapsed and damaged buildings, with at least 100 buildings affected.

Transportation across Taiwan was disrupted, with subways and trains halted, roads blocked and flights canceled, but airports resumed operations by the afternoon.

The tremor was felt as far as Shanghai, about 800 kilometers (800 kilometers) to the north, and several Chinese provinces temporarily suspended high-speed rail services to ensure safety. Coastal areas in the Philippines and Japan were put on high alert for tsunamis, and large waves hit Okinawa, but no serious damage was caused.

Wednesday’s quake was the strongest to hit Taiwan since 1999, when a magnitude 7.6 tremor killed about 2,400 people and destroyed or damaged 50,000 buildings.

The quake occurred near the center of the island, but Wednesday’s epicenter was offshore east of Hualien County. Hualien County is the largest prefecture in Taiwan in terms of area, but the least populated, with most residents concentrated in small towns along the coast.

Liao Chewei, director of the Central Weather Bureau’s Seismology Center, told state broadcaster that the Taiwan Plus standard adopted after the 1999 earthquake may have also played a role.

“Regulations regarding earthquake resistance of buildings have been significantly updated,” he said. “Rules regarding construction methods and materials are becoming stricter.”

Taiwan is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, which stretches 40,000 kilometers from East Asia to the west coast of the Americas and contains some of the world’s most active volcanic and seismic zones, the result of multiple tectonic plates colliding with each other. Masu.

As a result, small tremors occur regularly on the island, and schools and businesses hold drills to train them on how to respond.

Still, Liao said earthquakes close to Wednesday’s magnitude are “relatively rare.” “It was a very dramatic earthquake.”

Hualien is known for its spectacular scenery, including Taroko Gorge, one of the island’s top tourist attractions. The state Central News Agency said several of those killed were hit by falling rocks while hiking in Taroko National Park. Roads and tunnels across Hualien have also been blocked by landslides and debris, snarling traffic across much of the province and hampering rescue efforts.

Aftershocks could be felt across Taiwan on Wednesday, and authorities warned that tremors as large as magnitude 7 were still possible in the coming days.

“Earthquakes are common and I’ve gotten used to them,” said Ken Sheng-shun, a resident of Taipei. “But today was the first time I was so scared that an earthquake brought me to tears.”

She said she woke up because her fifth-floor apartment was shaking so violently. “It was the first time I felt such a violent shaking.”

Zhang Yulin, a hospital worker, said the quake was “very strong, it felt like a house was going to collapse” even in the capital, more than 100 kilometers north of Hualien.

Video of the moment the quake struck showed buildings shaking, furniture falling from ceilings inside and cars on the highway shaking and appearing to bounce in place.Some of the more dramatic footage comes from broadcaster SET News, where the anchor She calmly continued reporting. The room shook and a loud crash was heard behind the camera.

Taiwan’s government announced it had mobilized the military to assist with emergency relief efforts. President-elect William Lai, who won the race to succeed current leader Tsai Ing-wen in January and is scheduled to take office in May, is also scheduled to visit the affected areas later this week.

With files from Reuters and Associated Press.