Enlarge image

A house in Hualien has fallen into disarray after a severe earthquake

Photo: AP

Around eight o'clock in the morning the earth shook violently in Taiwan. In the city of Hualien on the east coast of Taiwan, at least 26 buildings are said to have collapsed, several multi-story houses tipped to one side, and a warehouse collapsed in New Taipei to the north. The exact number of victims is still unclear. Local media reported several missing and injured people, and a fire department statement reported at least four dead and 57 injured. Among the dead were a truck driver whose vehicle was reportedly hit by a rockfall while driving, and three hikers.

More than 25 aftershocks have been recorded so far. According to the energy company Taipower, more than 87,000 households are without electricity. The country's two nuclear power plants are not affected.

The director of the Seismological Center in Taipei, Wu Chien-fu, spoke of the strongest earthquake in 25 years. Taiwan's weather agency recorded a magnitude 7.2 quake on the island's southeastern coast at a depth of around 16 kilometers. The earthquake monitoring station in the USA (USGS) reported a magnitude of 7.4 in the area, while colleagues in Japan even reported 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 Central Meteorological Administration of Taiwan rated the quake as having an intensity of the second highest level. In an earthquake of this magnitude, people would no longer be able to stand upright or crawl, according to the Reuters news agency.

Authorities in China are very concerned about the situation in Taiwan and are ready to provide disaster relief, said Chinese Taiwan Affairs Office spokeswoman Zhu Fenglian.

According to eyewitnesses, the quake was felt in the Taiwanese capital Taipei and in various cities in mainland China, including Shanghai. According to the Taipei city government, there are no reports of damage in the city. Rail traffic has resumed after a short interruption.

In Japan, the tremor off Taiwan 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. Operations at the local Naha airport were suspended as a precautionary measure. The tsunami warning was lifted after a few hours.

Big waves expected in the Philippines

The Philippines also issued a tsunami warning. High waves are expected that could last for hours, the National Institute of Volcanology and Seismology warned. People in several provinces of the island nation were asked to seek safety and leave the coastal regions. Boats should be moored. Anyone who finds themselves on the high seas should stay there and not head towards the shore.

Taiwan is regularly shaken by earthquakes as tectonic plates collide in the region. In 1999, around 2,400 people died in an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6.

In 2016, more than 100 people died in a magnitude 6.4 earthquake in the south of the island. In 2018, another magnitude 6.4 earthquake devastated the city of Hualien, injuring hundreds of people.

has/vet/dpa/Reuters