Taiwan was shaken on Wednesday by the most powerful earthquake in the last 25 years. At least nine people were killed and hundreds injured , while buildings and streets were damaged and train service was disrupted. The truth is that Taiwan is no stranger to powerful earthquakes, but it has managed to relatively contain a catastrophe for the island's 23 million residents thanks to its excellent earthquake preparedness, experts say.
Wednesday's earthquake measured 7.2 according to Taiwan's earthquake monitoring agency, while the U.S. Geological Survey estimated it at 7.4. It damaged several buildings in Hualien, but caused only minor losses in the capital, Taipei, although it was strongly felt there.
According to a count by the island's fire department, cited by The New York Times , one building completely collapsed, 15 others were in a state of partial collapse, and 67 others were damaged.
Furthermore, it occurred in the middle of the morning rush hour, but it only slightly affected normal transportation. A few minutes later, parents were returning to accompany their children to school and workers were heading to the offices.
“Taiwan's earthquake preparedness is among the most advanced in the world ,” said Stephen Gao, a seismologist and professor at Missouri University of Science and Technology. “The island has implemented strict building codes, a world-class seismological network and widespread public education campaigns on earthquake safety.”
“ The skills, capabilities, equipment and training are second to none ,” said disaster response expert Steve Glassey.
The island lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire ,” the seismic fault line that surrounds the Pacific Ocean and where most of the world's earthquakes occur.
The area is particularly vulnerable to tremors due to the tension built up by the interactions of two tectonic plates, the Philippine Sea Plate and the Eurasian Plate, which can cause sudden releases in the form of earthquakes.
The region's mountainous landscape can amplify ground shaking and cause landslides. Several such landslides occurred on Taiwan's east coast, near the epicenter of Wednesday's earthquake, as debris fell into tunnels and roads, crushing vehicles and causing several deaths.
The government continually reviews the level of seismic resistance required for new and existing buildings (which can increase construction costs) and offers subsidies to residents who wish to test the seismic resistance of their buildings.
Following a 2016 earthquake in the city of Tainan, on the island's southwest coast, five people involved in the construction of a 17-story apartment building that was the only major structure that collapsed, killing dozens, were found guilty. of negligence and imprisoned.
Lu Chin-wen, an architect who helped rebuild after the devastating 7.7 earthquake in 1999 that killed more than 2,400 people, told The Washington Post that structures built after the new regulations were stronger and that may have helped prevent major human losses. “If buildings are damaged but not destroyed, the casualties will be relatively fewer,” he said.
Taiwan is also pushing for earthquake drills in schools and workplaces, while public media and mobile phones regularly broadcast earthquake and safety advisories.
“ These measures have significantly improved Taiwan's resilience to earthquakes, helping to mitigate the potential for catastrophic damage and loss of life,” Gao said.
Likewise, Taiwan has options to request international help with search and rescue efforts. It could directly ask another country to send personnel and even the United Nations to help coordinate multi-country teams, as it did after the 1999 earthquake.
United Nations spokesman Pierre Peron said Wednesday afternoon that no such request had yet been made.
Living with earthquakes
Taiwan and its surrounding waters have recorded about 2,000 earthquakes with a magnitude of 4.0 or greater since 1980, and more than 100 earthquakes with a magnitude greater than 5.5, according to the USGS. The worst earthquake to occur on the island in recent years occurred on September 21, 1999, with a magnitude of 7.7. It caused 2,400 deaths, around 100,000 injuries, and destroyed thousands of buildings.
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