The most powerful earthquake to hit Taiwan in 25 years has resulted in the loss of at least nine lives and caused significant damage to roads and buildings, some of which have partially collapsed, particularly on the island's eastern coast
The earthquake, with its epicenter about 11 miles south of Hualien city, struck just before 8 a.m. local time, registering a preliminary magnitude of 7.4 according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
All reported deaths occurred in Hualien County, with over 900 individuals injured in Hualien and other regions of Taiwan, as per Taiwan’s National Fire Agency.
Authorities have reported severe damage to more than two dozen apartment towers, houses, and other structures, with over 130 individuals trapped.
Rescue efforts successfully extracted 22 people from a nine-story building in central Hualien, which had a curved-glass exterior and had tilted dangerously, crushing shops on its ground floor.
However, at least one individual remains missing from the building.
The earthquake also led to burst water pipes, power outages in some areas near the epicenter, the collapse of a roadway connecting Hualien to northern cities, and the suspension of several rail lines. Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen has dispatched military personnel to assist with disaster relief.
Chang Li-hsin, a local restaurant owner, described the moment the earthquake struck, saying, “Tables and chairs suddenly began shaking.
The menu hung on the wall was shaken off, and a crack appeared in the wall.” Chang and her husband fled the restaurant as dozens of others rushed onto the streets.
Hualien, a city of around 100,000 residents, is situated between the steep mountains of Taiwan's east coast and the sea, experiencing frequent earthquakes.
In 2018, a magnitude 6.4 earthquake centered in Hualien claimed at least 17 lives and left some buildings severely tilted.
The city is located just south of Taroko National Park, a popular tourist destination known for its deep gorge along the Liwu River.
Despite the devastation, Huang Hui-chih, a coffee shop owner in Hualien, expressed the resilience of the local community, stating, “Foreign visitors, maybe they are a little nervous because they have never seen anything like this.
But Hualien people, we’ve had this experience.”
This earthquake is the most powerful to hit Taiwan since a magnitude-7.6 quake struck central Taiwan in 1999, claiming over 2,400 lives and injuring more than 11,000.