In this video still from TVBS, residents in Hualien, eastern Taiwan, are seen rescuing a child from a partially collapsed building on April 3, 2024. The image credit goes to Anonymous/AP.
A major earthquake struck Taiwan during the morning rush hour on Wednesday, causing building collapses and prompting tsunami warnings in Japan and the Philippines. The quake, with a magnitude of 7.4, hit near Hualien at 7:58 am local time, resulting in at least four deaths and numerous injuries. This earthquake is the strongest to hit Taiwan since 1999, with a shallow depth of about 35 kilometers (22 miles). The focus keyphrase for this event is “Taiwan earthquake damages buildings.”
Impact of a 7.2 Magnitude Earthquake in Taiwan
Strong tremors reverberated through Taipei, located 100 miles from the epicenter, with aftershocks persisting for approximately two hours. Reports emerged from China indicating that individuals as far as Shanghai, 500 miles to the north, could also sense the seismic activity.
Television broadcasts showcased widespread devastation, with buildings tilting precariously after being jolted from their foundations. In response, authorities in Hualien, a region housing around 300,000 people, halted all work and school operations. Additionally, safety measures led to the closure of eight power plants, leaving 87,000 residents in Hualien without electricity, while the rest of the island remained unaffected.
Following the earthquake, TSMC, a prominent manufacturer of advanced microchips, took the precautionary step of evacuating its production facilities.
In a video footage captured by TVBS, a partially collapsed building in Hualien, eastern Taiwan, serves as a stark reminder of the earthquake’s impact. The seismic event not only caused structural damage but also triggered a tsunami that reached the southern Japanese islands.
Impact of the Taiwan Earthquake on Buildings
Amidst the chaos caused by the recent earthquake in Taiwan, images captured by TVBS via AP reveal the devastation. The earthquake, which struck eastern Taiwan on April 3, 2024, resulted in the partial collapse of several buildings in Hualien. The tremors were so powerful that they not only affected Taiwan but also triggered a tsunami that reached the southern Japanese islands.
Following the earthquake, transportation services across Taiwan were severely disrupted. Train services were halted island-wide, and even the subway system in Taipei came to a standstill. Reports and videos from the epicenter depict scenes of rockslides blocking roads and causing structural damage to houses.
Japan’s Meteorological Agency wasted no time in issuing a tsunami warning for the southern Japanese island group of Okinawa. The forecast predicted waves as high as 3 meters, with initial reports confirming a 30-centimeter wave hitting the coast of Yonaguni island shortly after the quake. The agency also warned of potential impacts on the coasts of Miyako and Yaeyama islands.
Meanwhile, the Philippines took precautionary measures by issuing a tsunami warning, urging residents in four coastal areas to evacuate to higher ground or move inland to ensure their safety.
Reflecting on the historical seismic activity in Taiwan, reports indicate that the last major earthquake of a magnitude 7 or higher struck the island on September 21, 1999. Known as the “Jiji” earthquake, it registered at 7.3 on the Richter scale, resulting in widespread destruction of buildings and claiming the lives of over 2,400 individuals.
In Beijing, John Ruwitch provided reporting for the Taiwan earthquake damages buildings.
