That happened
The island state of Taiwan was rocked by a major earthquake. The measurements fluctuate between 7.2 and 7.7 on the Richter scale. The country has so far seen seven deaths and nearly 60 injuries, and several neighboring countries have issued tsunami warnings. However, early on Wednesday morning (Swiss time), Japan and the Philippines were able to make everything clear in this regard.
In Taiwan itself, people in several provinces were asked to seek safety and leave coastal areas. Boats should be moored, while those already at sea should remain there and not head towards the coast, the report said.
What is known about the earthquake
The Taiwan Meteorological Agency recorded a magnitude 7.2 earthquake on the island’s southeastern coast at a depth of 15.5 kilometers. The US Earthquake Monitoring Station (USGS) reported a magnitude of 7.4 in the area, while Japan reported a magnitude of 7.7.
In Hualien, a city on the east coast of Taiwan, buildings were partly severely damaged by the violent earthquakes, local media reported. Photos showed a five-storey house collapsing and toppling over. According to eyewitnesses, the earthquake was also clearly felt in and around the capital. In New Taipei, which surrounds the capital Taipei, three people were injured when a warehouse collapsed.
STRONGEST #earthquake ACHIEVED IN 25 YEARS #Taiwan #Japan. MASSIVE DESTRUCTION REPORTED EVERYWHERE💔 #Tsunami ALSO ARRIVED.
This reminds us how temporary life is. Prayers for them 💔#earthquake #Taiwan pic.twitter.com/8wtHrp7TUX— LonewolF✌ (@rpsprabusankar) April 3, 2024
Residents of the capital reported that furniture and dishes were broken in their homes and apartments. Public rail transport has been suspended in several major cities on the island with more than 23 million inhabitants. Express train services were also interrupted.
Are there dead people?
After the violent earthquake off the east coast of Taiwan, the number of deaths has risen to 7 and the number of injured to more than 700. As the national fire brigade announced on Wednesday, 736 people were considered injured.
Accordingly, 77 people were still trapped in buildings in the worst-hit city of Hualien on Taiwan’s east coast.
Here’s what we know about the damage
The number of various accidents, such as damage to buildings or infrastructure, increased to more than 1,100.
Damage was reported in several regions of Taiwan. President Tsai Ing-wen and Prime Minister Chen Chien-jen were expected this morning at the Central Emergency Control Center in New Taipei, which surrounds the capital Taipei.
#Pause new; #Earthquake affected to Taiwan. I wish Taiwan a safe and quick recovery situation of the people after the earthquake they are having now. pic.twitter.com/tW2gVUJFTW
— abokor Mohamud (@abokorm14) April 3, 2024
Taiwan’s major semiconductor manufacturer TSMC has halted production, according to the Hsinchu City Industrial Park Authority. The company is said to have evacuated employees from production during the earthquake. The company is currently checking the condition of the machines.
The last time Taiwan was hit was in September 1999 by a magnitude 7.3 earthquake. At that time, more than 2,400 people died. Taiwan is located in an earthquake-prone zone on the boundary of the Eurasian Plate and the Philippine Sea Plate.
Tsunami warnings in Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines
Taiwanese and Japanese authorities issued a tsunami warning on Wednesday evening after the earthquakes. The Philippines later followed suit. Initially, states assumed that high tsunami waves of up to three meters high could flood the coasts for hours. This was announced, for example, by the Philippine National Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).
On Wednesday morning, Japan and the Philippines were able to give the all-clear. Smaller tidal waves had earlier reached the islands of Yonaguni, Ishigaki and Miyako, which belong to the southern Japanese holiday paradise of Okinawa, as the Meteorological Authority announced on Wednesday. The magnitude of the earthquake off the coast of Taiwan was 7.7.
Following the tsunami warning, air traffic at Naha Airport in Okinawa, Japan, was temporarily suspended. Passengers were asked to move to higher floors of the terminal building, the airport operator said. The airport is located on the coast of the main island of the island prefecture. Residents were repeatedly asked over loudspeakers to move to higher ground. On Yonaguni Island, residents were taken to a school. The archipelago of Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world.
China offers help
China has offered Taiwan aid after the major earthquake. Chinese authorities are very concerned about the situation, spokeswoman Zhu Fenglian of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said in Beijing on Wednesday. The mainland is monitoring the situation and is ready to provide disaster relief.
It initially remained unclear whether Taiwan would accept China’s help. There are always tensions between the two states because Beijing considers the island part of China, even though an independent and democratically elected government has been in power in Taiwan for decades.
+++ Update to follow +++
(rbu/con/sda/dpa)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.