Taiwan suffers the strongest earthquake in 25 years

Taiwan suffers the strongest earthquake in 25 years: multiple deaths and injuries, collapsed buildings and destroyed roads are reported

Taiwan suffered its strongest earthquake in 25 years on Wednesday, a deadly 7.4 magnitude quake that shook the island's east coast, toppling several buildings, causing landslides and injuring more than 800 people.

Taiwan's National Fire Agency reported that at least nine people were killed, 882 injured and 131 others remain trapped. The deaths occurred in Hualien County, where a hiker was among the dead.

According to Taiwanese authorities, buildings have collapsed in Hualien County, thousands of homes have been left without power and a major highway on the east coast has been closed due to landslides and rockslides.

Several aftershocks have been recorded in Taiwan, including one with a magnitude of 6.5, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). In addition, the island's Central Meteorological Administration warned that aftershocks are expected over the next three or four days, which could have a magnitude of 6.5 to 7.0, an agency spokesperson added.

In this image, taken from a video posted by TVBS, a partially collapsed building is seen in Hualien, eastern Taiwan, on Wednesday, April 3. (Credit: TVBS/AP)

In its first report, Taiwan's Ministry of Defense noted that there are leaning houses and damage in Hualien County after the earthquake. He added that the military has been sent to assist in disaster relief and minimize damage, and that school and workplace activities have been suspended amid continuing aftershocks.

Taiwan's outgoing president, Tsai Ing-wen, said Wednesday that she ordered her administration to "immediately" take "control of the situation and understand the local impacts as soon as possible." She also called for providing "the necessary assistance" and for her administration to "work together with local governments to minimize the impact of the disaster."

Collapsed buildings and a damaged road

The full extent of the damage is still being assessed, and road and railway closures restrict access to the quake's epicenter in Hualien County.

More than 100 buildings were damaged across the island, according to the National Fire Agency, half of them in Hualien County.

Search and rescue operations were underway Wednesday afternoon at the nine-story Uranus building, which had partially collapsed, trapping residents, Hualien County Magistrate Hsu Chen-wei told reporters. . So far, 22 people had been rescued from the building, according to the NFA.

More than 91,000 homes are without power, according to Taiwan's Central Emergency Command Center. State-owned company Taipower is working to restore supply.

Published images Social media showed several collapsed buildings in Hualien and residents helping trapped people escape through the window of a damaged apartment complex.

Videos from security cameras and mobile phones, broadcast by CNN affiliate TVBS, showed the moment the earthquake hit. One video showed power lines swaying violently on a street, another showed chandeliers shaking in a restaurant and a third showed water spilling from a fish tank.

The earthquake left serious damage to a major highway along Taiwan's eastern coast, the island's television channels reported. Footage broadcast by TVBS shows large rocks falling onto the Suhua Expressway, with several tunnels broken, including one that split in half.

At least nine rockfalls and landslides have been reported on the Suhua Highway, which was closed, Taiwan's Central News Agency reported, citing authorities.

Another highway connecting the west coast with eastern Taiwan was also damaged by the rockfall, with at least 12 cars hit and 9 people injured, TVBS reported.

Where and when did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake occurred at 7:58 a.m. local time, 18 kilometers south of the city of Hualien, and at a depth of 34.8 kilometers, according to the USGS. It was followed by several strong aftershocks and tremors that were felt across the island, including by CNN staff in Taipei.

Tsunami warnings are no longer in effect.

Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines canceled tsunami warnings issued after the earthquake, while the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center declared that the threat to the United States "has largely passed."

Tsunami waves have been observed off the coast of Taiwan and the far southwestern islands of Japan after the quake. Waves reached almost half a meter in Chenggong, Taiwan, approximately 100 kilometers south of the earthquake's epicenter.

Observed tsunami heights are measured in open water and can reach significantly higher levels when they reach the coast.

What you should not forget during and after a tsunami

The strongest earthquake that Taiwan has experienced in 25 years

Wednesday's 7.4 earthquake is the strongest Taiwan has seen in 25 years, according to a CWA spokesperson. In 1999, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake occurred 150 kilometers south of Taipei, killing 2,400 people and injuring another 10,000.

What is the Pacific Ring of Fire and how does it work

Taiwan is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, which surrounds the edge of the Pacific Ocean and generates massive seismic and volcanic activity from Indonesia to Chile.

Periodically, earthquakes are recorded on the island. In 2018, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake near Hualien left at least 17 people dead and injured more than 300.

Hualien County has about 300,000 residents and is close to Taroko Gorge, a popular tourist destination.