A big earthquake, measuring 7.2 on the scale, shook Taiwan on Wednesday. It’s the strongest quake the island has felt in at least 25 years. Sadly, four people died, and many others were hurt. After the quake, there was a warning that a tsunami might hit southern Japan and the Philippines, but it was later said that the danger had passed.
Taiwan Struck by Strongest Earthquake in 25 Years
The government of Taiwan reported that four people passed away in the mountainous area of Hualien, located in the east where the earthquake was centered. Over 50 people were also injured.
More than 26 buildings fell down, with over half of them in Hualien. Around 20 people are stuck, and rescuers are still trying to help them.
Taiwan TV channels aired videos of buildings tilting dangerously in Hualien. The earthquake hit just off the coast around 8 am, when people were heading to work and school.
The earthquake went 15.5 kilometers deep (about 9.6 miles), as reported by Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration.
“The shaking was powerful. It felt like the house might fall over,” explained Chang Yu-Lin, a 60-year-old worker at a hospital in Taipei.
Japan’s weather agency reported that some small tsunami waves reached parts of Okinawa in the south. They later changed the earlier warning of a big tsunami to just advice. They said the earthquake was a 7.7 magnitude.
The Philippines Seismology Agency told people living near the coast in some provinces to move to higher ground because of a warning about possible earthquakes.
Taiwan warned about a tsunami, but luckily, there was no damage reported. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii later said the threat of big waves causing damage was gone.
In Taipei, people are still feeling aftershocks, according to a witness from Reuters. More than 25 aftershocks have been recorded by Taiwan’s central weather administration.
The earthquake was felt in China’s Fujian province, according to Chinese state media. A witness for Reuters also reported feeling it in Shanghai.
The government of Taipei city said they didn’t hear about any big damage from the earthquake, and the city’s MRT (subway) was back to normal shortly after the shaking.
Taipower, the electricity company, reported that over 87,000 homes in Taiwan are still without power. They also said that the two nuclear power plants in the country were not affected by the earthquake.
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The company that runs Taiwan’s high-speed trains said that there were no problems or injuries on their trains. However, they mentioned that there will be delays because they need to check the trains for any damage.
The big technology company Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (2330.TW) has moved some of its production plants and its safety systems are working fine.
Several factories were emptied as a precautionary measure, following safety guidelines to safeguard the workers. Right now, the company is checking to understand exactly what happened.”
It also said that the people who were moved away are starting to go back to their jobs.
TSMC’s shares dropped by 1.4% at the beginning of trading today. Apple’s supplier Foxconn also saw its stock fall by more than 2%, and flat panel maker Au Optronics’ shares decreased by 1.7%.
The earthquake in Taiwan is the largest one since 1999. Back then, a very strong earthquake, measuring 7.6 magnitude, hit the island. It caused a lot of damage, leading to around 2,400 deaths and wrecking or harming 50,000 buildings.
Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration reported that the earthquake in Hualien county had a strong intensity rating of “Upper 6” on a scale of 1 to 7.
During a strong earthquake like an Upper 6, most walls made of plain concrete blocks fall down. People can’t stand or walk normally; they have to crawl because it’s too difficult to move. This information comes from the Japan Meteorological Agency.
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