A Massive 7.3 Magnitude Earthquake Struck Taiwan And The Videos Look Unreal
The earthquake was the biggest in Taiwan in 25 years.
A massive magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck Taiwan on Wednesday, April 3, at around 7:58 am, killing at least nine people and injuring nearly 1,000 others.
The quake, the biggest in Taiwan in 25 years, damaged scores of buildings and triggered tsunami warnings across the island nation, as well as in Japan, China and the Philippines.
Taiwanese authorities said the quake’s tremors were felt across the country.
As the earthquake hit, videos and pictures flooded social media, showing buildings across Taiwan shaking wildly.
Local TV channels broadcasted scenes of buildings in Hualien and other areas tilting precariously after the tremors stopped.
A worker in a hospital in Taipei, Chang Yu-lin, told Reuters, “It was very strong. It felt as if the house was going to topple.”
“I wanted to run out, but I wasn’t dressed. That was so strong,” Kelvin Hwang, a hotel guest in Taipei, who took refuge in the lift lobby, said.
The quake triggered power outages in several parts of Taiwan, but power was restored in most areas by 10:30 am.
Three people were killed when boulders loosened by the earthquake fell on them while they were hiking, while a truck driver was killed when his vehicle was struck by a landslide near a tunnel in the region.
The earthquake caused injuries to over 40 people in Taroko National Park, mostly tourists, and rescue teams evacuated hundreds more from the park.
In other areas, including Taipei, New Taipei, and Hualien, falling debris and objects injured at least 50 people.
Police rescued nearly 22 people from an eight-storey building in Hualien, which was partially brought down by the earthquake.
One person is still missing, according to the police.
Authorities said 125 buildings and residences have been damaged so far.
A section of the ceiling collapsed at Taiwan’s Taoyuan International Airport due to the earthquake, according to airport officials. However, no passenger injuries have been reported thus far.
The quake’s focal point was located approximately 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) east of Hualien County on the east coast of Taiwan, and about 138 kilometers from the capital, Taipei.
Authorities said the earthquake was the most powerful since the devastating 1999 magnitude 7.6 earthquake that killed almost 2,400 people.
Officials predict aftershocks with magnitudes ranging from 6.5 to 7 are expected for the next three to four days.
“The earthquake is close to land and it’s shallow. It’s felt all over Taiwan and offshore islands,” Wu added.
Reacting to the destruction, President Tsai Ing-wen expressed her concern and added that the military will be supporting the city governments in rescuing people still trapped in buildings.
Vice-President William Lai Ching-te, who will be assuming office in May, urged the public to remain calm and safe.
He is also expected to visit Hualien later in the day.
Rigorous building rules and heightened preparedness have effectively prevented a major tragedy on the island, which is prone to earthquakes due to its location near the convergence of two tectonic plates.
In response to the earthquake in Taiwan, Japan’s Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued a tsunami warning and urged residents in Okinawa’s coastal areas to evacuate.
The agency warned of waves reaching up to 3 meters (10 feet) on the southwestern coast. However, the warning was later downgraded to an advisory.
China did not issue any tsunami warnings but stated that it was “paying close attention” and “willing to provide disaster relief assistance,” according to the state news agency Xinhua.
