A robust 7.4 magnitude earthquake that struck Taiwan early Wednesday morning was the strongest to hit the island in 25 years.
It initially triggered tsunami wave forecasts in China, Japan and the Philippines, however these warnings had been later cancelled. There have been greater than 100 shocks and extra had been anticipated within the subsequent three or 4 days.
Right here's what we all know in regards to the earthquake and its aftermath.
What’s the dying toll?
The earthquake killed not less than 9 individuals and injured greater than 880 others. One other 131 individuals had been trapped, Taiwan's fireplace division mentioned Wednesday afternoon.
Among the many useless had been not less than three hikers who had been hit by falling rocks on a path in Taroko Nationwide Park, in response to the state-run Central Information Company.
What elements of Taiwan had been affected?
The heaviest harm was in Hualien County on the east coast close to the epicenter, which was about 11 kilometers south of the town of Hualien, the county seat. All 9 individuals who died had been within the county, authorities mentioned. However the earthquake was felt throughout Taiwan.
Buildings shook for greater than a minute within the capital, Taipei. Rail providers had been halted all through the island. Airways have canceled or delayed dozens of flights. Greater than 360,000 households misplaced energy at one level Wednesday, in response to Taiwan's Central Emergency Operations Middle.
What was broken?
The worst harm was within the metropolis of Hualien, the place many buildings had been tilted with their floor flooring ranges crushed. One of many buildings, a 10-story construction that housed a mixture of properties and outlets, was one of many facilities of rescue efforts.
Throughout Taiwan, the earthquake and aftershocks prompted 15 buildings to partially collapse and broken 67 others. A constructing in Changhua County, on the west coast, has fully collapsed, in response to Taiwan's fireplace division.
The quake additionally prompted not less than 9 landslides on a serious highway in Hualien, in response to Taiwan's Central Information Company, which mentioned a part of the highway had collapsed.
How ready was Taiwan?
Taiwan has improved its stage of preparedness over a long time of experiencing harmful earthquakes. For the reason that Eighties it has been refining its early warning system. It additionally up to date its constructing codes in 2022, requiring homeowners of weak constructions to put in reinforcements.
Taiwan established an city search and rescue crew and opened a number of emergency medical operation facilities after an earthquake in central Taiwan killed almost 2,500 individuals in 1999. The federal government additionally ordered a wave of constructing inspections in 2018 after 17 individuals died in an earthquake in Hualien. .
Why has Taiwan had so many earthquakes?
A number of lethal earthquakes have struck Taiwan previously century. The island is situated on a number of energetic faults, that are related to seismic exercise. It’s close to the Pacific “Ring of Hearth,” an space that the US Geological Survey says is probably the most seismically and volcanically energetic space on the earth.
