At least nine people were killed and more than 820 injured in the strongest earthquake to hit Taiwan in 25 years. Local rescue workers announced this on Wednesday afternoon (CET). The severe earthquake shook numerous port cities in Taiwan, and the tremors were also felt in the capital Taipei.
The Taiwanese and Japanese authorities issued tsunami warnings after the tremors in the morning, which have since been lifted. Taiwan’s meteorological agency recorded a magnitude 7.2 quake on the island’s southeastern coast near the city of Hualien at a depth of 15.5 kilometers.
The United States Earthquake Observatory (USGS) reported a magnitude of 7.4 in the area. Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen and Prime Minister Chen Chien-jen were expected at the central emergency control center in New Taipei this morning. The exact extent of the damage was not initially foreseeable.
As a result of the earthquake, around 70 people were also trapped in a tunnel, including two Germans. On Wednesday afternoon (CEST), the rescue workers announced that the people had been freed. So far nothing is known about the health status of German citizens.
Taiwan: Many buildings severely damaged by massive earthquake
In the east coast city of Hualien, buildings were partly badly damaged by the violent tremors, as local media reported. Photos showed how several houses collapsed and became tilted. According to eyewitnesses, the quake 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.
Residents of the capital reported that furnishings and dishes were broken in their houses 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. Videos are circulating on social networks that are supposed to show the tremors of the earthquake, but their authenticity cannot be confirmed beyond doubt at this point.
Severe earthquake in Taiwan: Japan and the Philippines also warn
In Japan, northeast of Taiwan, the earthquake triggered a warning of a three-meter-high tsunami for nearby islands in Okinawa Prefecture, southwestern Japan. Residents of the affected islands were called upon to seek safety. Japanese media also spoke of an earthquake magnitude of 7.7. Authorities in the Philippines also issued a tsunami warning.
The National Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) initially said high tsunami waves were expected that could last for hours. People in several provinces of the island nation were asked to seek safety and leave the coastal regions. A few hours after the earthquake, both countries lifted the warnings.
The large neighboring country China asked Taiwan for help. Chinese authorities are very concerned about the situation, said Chinese Taiwan Affairs Office spokeswoman Zhu Fenglian in Beijing on Wednesday. The mainland is monitoring the situation and is ready to offer disaster assistance. It remained unclear whether Taiwan would accept China’s help. There are always tensions between the two states because Beijing counts the island as part of China, even though an independent and democratically elected government has been in power in Taiwan for decades.
TSMC: Production stop at important chip manufacturer
Taiwan’s major semiconductor maker TSMC halted production, the Hsinchu City Industrial Park Authority said. The company reportedly evacuated workers from production during the quake. The company is currently checking the condition of the machines. The tremors also damaged various roads in Taiwan. The state-owned energy supplier reported that more than 308,000 households in Taiwan lost power due to the quake. Tens of thousands were still without power afterwards.