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Taiwan Hit by 7.7-Magnitude Earthquake: Strongest Quake in 25 Years, 1 Fatality; Japan Issues Tsunami Alert | Latest Updates

On Wednesday, April 3, just before 8 a.m. local time, a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Taiwan’s east, sending tsunami warnings to the self-governing island and certain areas of southern Japan. In response to the earthquake in Taiwan, the Philippines also issued orders for the evacuation of coastal districts and a tsunami warning. According to Taiwan’s fire department, the epicenter was in the hilly, thinly populated eastern county of Hualien; one person is suspected of having been crushed to death by falling boulders, and more than fifty others were injured.

There are presently 20 people stranded after at least 26 buildings—more than half of which are in Hualien—and rescue efforts are still underway, according to the report. Japan’s Meteorological Agency estimated the earthquake’s magnitude at 7.7, despite the United States Geological Survey’s (USGS) statement that it had a magnitude of 7.4 and that its epicenter was located 34.8 kilometers deep, 18 kilometers south of Hualien City, Taiwan.

The head of Taipei’s Seismology Center described the earthquake that struck the east of the country as “the strongest in 25 years.” This is a shallow earthquake that is near land. The 7.6-magnitude September 1999 earthquake that killed 2,400 people was mentioned by Wu Chien-fu to reporters. “It’s felt all over Taiwan and offshore islands. It’s the strongest in 25 years since the 1999 earthquake,” Yi said. A five-story building appeared seriously damaged in the sparsely populated Hualien, with the remaining stories tilted at a 45-degree angle and the first floor crumbling. The capital city of Taipei saw the collapse of tiles from ancient buildings and some of the modern office complexes.

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Taiwan earthquake: latest updates

An earthquake offshore shook Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, and some parts of the city lost power.
Media outlets stated that some individuals were trapped after Taiwan television stations aired footage of some crumbling structures in Hualien, close to the epicenter of the earthquake.
A Reuters witness reported that she felt the quake in Shanghai.
The epicenter was located in waters off the eastern shoreline of Taiwan Island, directly off the coast of the eastern county of Hualien, according to the Taiwan Central Weather Administration.
Relatively distant Japanese islands, such as Miyakojima Island, were predicted to see tsunami waves as high as three meters right away, according to reports. On NHK, the national broadcaster of Japan, a banner said, “Evacuate!”
“There will be a tsunami. Kindly leave right away,” an NHK anchor urged. Keep on without stopping. Stay away from the back.
According to a news agency, ships were seen sailing out to sea in live TV footage from the ports in the Okinawa region, including Naha, presumably in an attempt to defend their ships.
Along with Taipei’s subway service, train services were suspended throughout the 23 million-person island. The children were heading back to school; the morning commute seemed routine, but everything in the capital soon reverted to normal.
Soon after the strong earthquake, buildings in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, trembled momentarily.
September 1999 saw the deadliest natural disaster in Taiwan’s history, with an earthquake of a magnitude of 7.6 that claimed almost 2,400 lives.
Roughly 1,500 shocks hit Japan annually.