An earthquake of 7.5 points on the Richter scale shook Taipeithe capital of Taiwan. The city There was no power supply in several parts Meanwhile in Japan and the Philippines There was a tsunami alert and the alarms went off due to tremors on the Japanese island. According to specialists, it is the earthquake strongest in the last 25 years.
television stations Taiwan showed images of some collapsed buildings in Hualien, near the epicenter of the earthquake, and media reported that some people were trapped.
Earthquake shook Taiwan and caused deaths and destruction throughout the country
So far, at least 9 deaths have been reported, 821 injured and more than 60 people have been rescued alive from the rubble.
According to Reuters, The earthquake could be felt as far as Shanghai. Local media showed numerous multi-story buildings in Hualien tilted dangerously after the shaking.
In New Taipei CityIn the north, a warehouse collapsed, but more than 60 people emerged from the rubble alive, the mayor said.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) noted that Wednesday’s earthquake had a magnitude of 7.4 and occurred just before 8:00 a.m. local time (00:00 GMT). The Taiwanese meteorological agency estimated the magnitude at 7.2, while the Japanese meteorological agency calibrated it at 7.5.
The epicenter was located 18 kilometers south of Hualien, with a depth of 34.8 km, indicated the USGS. “The earthquake was close to the ground and is shallow. It was felt throughout Taiwan and the islands (…). It is the strongest in 25 years,” Wu Chien-fu, director of the Taiwanese Seismological Center, told reporters.
Two buildings in Hualien collapsed, a local fire brigade official told AFP. “Two buildings have collapsed and some people are believed to be trapped. We have no more information at the moment“he added.
Earthquake in Taiwan: damage and affected areas
The earthquake was felt in Fuzhou, Xiamen, Quanzhou and Ningde in the Chinese province of Fujian, according to national media.
“The earthquake was close to the ground and is shallow. It was felt throughout Taiwan and the islands. It is the strongest in 25 years,” Wu Chien-fu, told reporters. director of the Taiwanese Seismological Center, in reference to the 7.6 magnitude earthquake in September 1999 that left 2,400 dead.
The largest earthquake in Taiwan in 25 years
In September 1999, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake killed about 2,400 people in Taiwan, still the deadliest natural disaster in the territory’s history.
The epicenter of the earthquake was in front of the Hualien coastin waters off the eastern coast of the island of Taiwan, local meteorological authorities reported.
Tsunami warnings in Japan and the Philippines
For its part, Japan issued a evacuation notice for coastal areas of southern Okinawa prefecture. Tsunami waves of up to 3 meters are expected to reach large areas of the southwestern coast of Japanaccording to the Japan Meteorological Agency, which estimated the earthquake’s magnitude at 7.5.
“Evacuate!” said a banner on Japanese national television NHK. “A tsunami is coming, please evacuate immediately,” said a presenter from that Japanese network. “Don’t stop, don’t turn back,” he advised.
The Philippine Seismological Agency also warned residents of several coastal areas, urging them to evacuate to higher ground.
Source: Ambito
