At least nine people died, 821 were injured, 127 remain trapped or stranded, and 28 buildings collapsed after a strong earthquake struck Taiwan on Wednesday, with more than a hundred aftershocks of varying magnitudes, according to official sources. The earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.2 according to Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau and 7.4 according to the US Geological Survey, occurred at 7:58 on Wednesday in the sea, specifically 25 kilometers southeast of the eastern county of Hualien.
This area has been the most affected by the earthquake, both in terms of loss of human lives and material damage, as numerous buildings and infrastructure have been damaged, and at least two residential blocks partially collapsed.
Earthquake in Taiwan
The earthquake, the worst recorded in Taiwan since the 7.6-magnitude earthquake on September 21, 1999, which resulted in the death of 2,416 people, occurred at 7:58 on Wednesday in the sea, specifically 25 kilometers southeast of the eastern county of Hualien. The earthquake and its subsequent aftershocks caused extensive material damage, especially in the Hualien area, where numerous buildings and infrastructure were affected, and at least two residential blocks partially collapsed, and it also caused the closure of several roads.
The number of disaster-related incidents has risen to 1,103, with 690 cases classified as “other types of events,” followed by 189 incidents of civil infrastructure and 125 of building damage. In addition, the world’s largest semiconductor producer, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, has been forced to evacuate some of its employees from its facilities, whose security systems “are functioning properly.” While no major damage has been detected so far, the tremors have been felt for at least an hour and a half in Taipei.
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen urged the population to remain calm and take precautions, as new aftershocks of between 6.5 and 7 degrees of the earthquake are likely to occur in the coming days. The president, who visited the Disaster Response Center with Prime Minister Chen Chien-Jen after the event, indicated that the Executive has ordered to provide necessary assistance and work with local governments in emergency efforts.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), which issued and later lifted an alert for a possible tsunami arrival in the Okinawa archipelago, also warned of the risk of additional earthquakes in the coming days.
This story was written in Spanish by Miguel Fernandez in Cultura Colectiva News.
