Dhe strongest earthquake in Taiwan in 25 years shook the East Asian island republic on Wednesday and caused damage to numerous buildings. Taiwanese and Japanese authorities issued tsunami warnings following the morning tremors. Taiwan's meteorological agency recorded a magnitude 7.2 quake on the island's southeastern coast near the city of Hualien at a depth of 15.5 kilometers. The United States Earthquake Observatory (USGS) reported a magnitude of 7.4 in the area. In Japan, according to media reports, the authorities even spoke of a magnitude of 7.7. Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen and Prime Minister Chen Chien-jen were expected at the central emergency control center in New Taipei this morning.
The exact extent of the damage was not initially foreseeable. However, according to official information, at least four people were killed and almost 60 were injured. Among the dead were a truck driver whose vehicle was reportedly hit by a rockfall while driving, and three hikers. This was confirmed by the island's national fire department. In addition, numerous buildings suffered some immense damage. Bridges, tracks and highways were also severely damaged: in total, as of midday (local time), the authorities spoke of more than 900 accidents of various kinds.
Interim warning of a three meter high tsunami
In the east coast city of Hualien, buildings were partly seriously damaged by the violent tremors, as local media reported. Photos showed how several houses collapsed and became tilted. According to eyewitnesses, the quake was also clearly felt in and around the capital. In New Taipei, which surrounds the capital Taipei, three people were injured when a warehouse collapsed. Residents of the capital reported that furnishings and dishes were broken in their houses and apartments. Public rail transport has been suspended in several major cities on the island with more than 23 million inhabitants. Express train services were also interrupted.
In Japan, northeast of Taiwan, the earthquake triggered a warning of a three-meter-high tsunami for nearby islands in Okinawa Prefecture, southwestern Japan. Residents of the affected islands were called upon to seek safety. Japanese media also spoke of an earthquake magnitude of 7.7. Authorities in the Philippines also issued a tsunami warning. High tsunami waves are expected that could last for hours, said the National Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs). People in several provinces of the island nation were asked to seek safety and leave the coastal regions. A few hours after the earthquake, both countries lifted the warnings.
The large neighboring country China asked Taiwan for help. Chinese authorities are very concerned about the situation, said Chinese Taiwan Affairs Office spokeswoman Zhu Fenglian in Beijing on Wednesday. The mainland is monitoring the situation and is ready to offer disaster assistance. It remained unclear whether Taiwan would accept China's help. There are always tensions between the two states because Beijing counts the island as part of China, even though an independent and democratically elected government has been in power in Taiwan for decades.
Taiwan's major semiconductor maker TSMC halted production, the Hsinchu City Industrial Park Authority said. The company reportedly evacuated workers from production during the quake. The company is currently checking the condition of the machines. The tremors also damaged various roads in Taiwan. The state-owned energy supplier reported that more than 308,000 households in Taiwan lost power due to the quake. Tens of thousands were still without power afterwards.
The last time Taiwan was hit was in September 1999 by a magnitude 7.3 quake. At that time, more than 2,400 people died. Taiwan lies in an earthquake-prone zone on the boundary of the Eurasian plate and the Philippine Sea plate.
There are about 1,500 tremors every year in Japan. The country's most severe earthquake to date was recorded in March 2011 with a magnitude of 9.0 off the country's northeast coast. It triggered a tsunami that left around 18,500 people dead or missing. The natural disaster also resulted in the failure of the cooling system in the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, and a core meltdown occurred in three of the six reactors.
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