Strongest Earthquake in 25 Years Rattles Taiwan
A 7.7 magnitude tremor downs 26 buildings and creates small tsunamis throughout the region.
The strongest earthquake in 25 years rattled Taiwan and triggered tsunami warnings throughout the region.
An earthquake rocked the entire island of Taiwan early Wednesday, collapsing buildings in a southern city and sparking a brief tsunami warning for southern Japanese islands.
Video and images on social media showed buildings shaken off their foundations. A five-story building in lightly populated Hualien appeared heavily damaged, collapsing its first floor and leaving the rest leaning at a 45-degree angle.
In the capital, Taipei, tiles fell from older buildings and within some newer office complexes.
The U.S. Geological Survey put the quake at a 7.5 while Taiwan’s earthquake monitoring agency gave the magnitude as 7.7 from 7.5 earlier. The effects of the earthquake were felt as far away as Kinmen, a Taiwanese-controlled island off the coast of China, said Wu Chien-fu, the head of Taiwan’s earthquake monitoring bureau.
A tsunami warning was issued for coastal areas of southwestern Japan’s Miyakojima and Yaeyama regions and the main island of Okinawa, Japanese public broadcaster NHK World reported. Waves had reached some areas and were more than 9 feet high.
Reports indicate that it is the strongest earthquake to rock the island in over two decades. Small tsunami waves have already been observed on the island and in Japan.
It may be the strongest earthquake to hit Taiwan in 25 years, after a deadly 7.7-magnitude quake in 1999 killed around 2,400 people. It is not immediately known whether there are any casualties in the latest quake. S
A 3.3ft (one-metre) tsunami wave hit the coast of Taiwan in the immediate aftermath of the tremors but it was unclear if it caused any damage.
A 1ft wave reached the Japanese island of Yonaguni at 9.18am Japan time, JMA said, while the Philippines’ weather agency has also warned residents in coastal areas to be prepared to evacuate. The worst of the tsunami danger is now believed to have passed.
There have already been a series of aftershocks (including a 6.5 magnitude tremor), and over 20 buildings on the island are reported to have collapsed.
At least 26 buildings collapsed in the earthquake Wednesday, 15 of which are in Hualien County, Taiwan’s Central Emergency Command Center (CEOC) said.
More than 91,000 households are without electricity, according to CEOC, which said the island’s government-operated Taipower Company is working to fix the issue.
Footage posted on social media showed several collapsed buildings in Hualien and residents helping trapped people escape through the window of a damaged apartment complex.
🚨BREAKING: Beaches cleared in Okinawa as #tsunami approaches Japan after Taiwan #earthquake
— Nicholas Pagnotta (@npagnotta1776) April 3, 2024
Visuals of a Swimming Pool when the 7.4 earthquake hit Taiwan. #earthquake #Taiwan #Tsunami pic.twitter.com/YsBgfO9e2g
— Aajiz Gayoor (@AajizGayoor) April 3, 2024
🚨UPDATE: Multiple buildings have collapsed following a preliminary 7.5 magnitude earthquake in Hualien, Taiwan. The rescue team has begun to carry out rescue operations. #earthquake #okinawa pic.twitter.com/VP4R5hLlwa
— AJ Huber (@Huberton) April 3, 2024
Huge earthquake in Taiwan, epicenter close to Hualien. Many aftershocks. Footage from friend’s apartment in Taipei. #taiwan#earthquake pic.twitter.com/fBy4BystKe
— Reece Andrew Ayers (@ReeceAyersTW) April 3, 2024
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“We’re not blaming Taiwan, we’re just saying — as a good friend — that this is Taiwan’s fault.”
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“What’s Taiwan?”
— American high school students and teachers
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“Whatever…” Valley Girl.s.
Beware any Chinese “aid.”
Don’t want to end up “liberated” like Tibet.
CHINA IS ATTACKING TAIWAIN WITH EAETHQUAKE WEAPONS
ITS WORLD WAR 3
HOLD ONTO YOUR BUTTS PEOPLE ITS GOING DOWN
I wonder if our space force has controlled reentry ready?