Dramatic Visuals Surface As Taiwan Rocked By 'Strongest Earthquake in 25 Years'

Taiwan Earthquake: Seven people died and hundreds of others were injured after a massive 7.4 magnitude earthquake, said to be the strongest in 25 years, struck eastern Taiwan on Wednesday morning, triggering Tsunami warnings for the self-ruled island as well as parts of southern Japan and Philippines.

The person who died (in first few hours) was crushed under the landslide, TaiwanPlusNews reported citing fire department authorities.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said that the quake — which struck just before 8:00 am local time — was at a magnitude of 7.4 with its epicentre 18 kilometres south of Taiwan’s Hualien City, at a depth of 34.8 km.

Meanwhile, Taipei’ seismology official said that this earthquake in Taiwan is the “strongest in 25 years”.

News agency Reuters reported that 20 people are trapped in the 26 buildings that have collapsed, which are more than half in Hualien city. Rescue efforts are underway in the affected areas across the city.

TAIWAN EARTHQUAKE AFTERMATH

Reports of massive damage, collapsed buildings and homes came in the aftermath of the quake.

Thousands of homes were also left without power, while a key highway along the east coast had to be shut in view of the landslides and rockfalls, Taiwanese officials were cited by CNN.

Taiwan had also issued a tsunami warning, but reported no damage from that. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii later said the risk of damaging tsunami waved had largely passed.

News agency AP reported that train services across the island housing a population of 23 million people was suspended and so was the subway service in Taipei.

“Earthquakes are a common occurrence, and I have grown accustomed to them. But today was the first time I was scared to tears by an earthquake,” Taipei resident Hsien-hsuen Keng was quoted as saying by AP.

Taiwan’s outgoing President Tsai Ing-wen said she ordered her administration to look into the situation immediately and understand the impacts as soon as possible. She also told them to “provide necessary assistance, and work together with local governments to minimize the impact of the disaster,” CNN reported.

VISUALS FROM EARTHQUAKE IN TAIWAN

As the quake shook up the city, terrifying visuals surfaced on social media showing the moment it took place and what happened after.

One of the videos shows ceiling hangings swinging back and forth as the quake hit the city.

Visuals shared by a X user displayed commuters stopping mid-way on a bridge as it started shaking aggressively during the earthquake. People on scooters, cars all took off quickly after the quake stopped.

One of the terrifying videos shows the metro bridge shaking left to right amid the high-magnitude earthquake.

Visuals from Hualien City’s Beibin street display the aftermath of the earthquake as a building — located on the corner of the street — was left in a slanted position with partial of its side roof fallen on the bikes parked right outside it.

One of the visuals was from the dashcam of a car which caught the earthquake’s effects right at the time it happened.

Tsunami waves as high as three metres (10 feet) were expected immediately for remote Japanese islands in the region, including Miyakojima island, said the Japanese meteorological agency.

Taiwan is regularly hit by earthquakes because the island lies near the junction of two tectonic plates. A 7.6-magnitude jolt hit Taiwan in September 1999, killing around 2,400 people in the deadliest natural disaster in the island’s history.

Hualien city was hit by a deadly earthquake in 2018, which led to the collapse of a historic hotel and multiple buildings.

(with inputs from agencies)