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Taiwan Earthquake 2024: Earthquake Destroys Roads, bridges, tunnels And Houses
Taiwan was struck by a powerful magnitude 7.2 earthquake this morning, which resulted in landslides, collapsed buildings, and tidal terror throughout the area.
The US Geological Survey reports that the earthquake occurred on Wednesday at 7:58 a.m. local time, 18 kilometers (11 miles) south of the city of Hualien, and at a depth of 34.8 kilometers.
Nearly 90% of all earthquakes occur on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” which is the tectonic band that Taiwan is located on.
In addition, the county saw rockfalls and landslides, which forced the closure of a significant coastal route and destroyed several tunnels.
Taiwan, southern Japan, and the Philippines all received tsunami warnings as a result of the earthquake, with waves measuring less than half a meter (about 1.5 feet) along some shores. Later on, all tsunami alerts were canceled.In addition, airports and airlines suspended flights due to the tsunami warnings; however, these were ultimately reinstated.
Taiwan’s Central Emergency Command Center said that over 91,000 households were without electricity.
Numerous powerful aftershocks were felt around the island, including in Taipei, following the earthquake. In the coming days, tremors as strong as a magnitude 7 are predicted.
Following the earthquake, Hualien County saw four fatalities, 736 injuries, and 77 trapped individuals. It’s still unknown how severe the wounds are and where the unreachable people are.
The National Fire Agency said that over 100 buildings were damaged on the island, with around half of those occurring in Hualien County.
Hualien County Magistrate Hsu Chen-wei informed reporters that search and rescue efforts were still underway on Wednesday afternoon at the nine-story Uranus Building, where occupants were trapped after it partially collapsed. The NFA reported that 22 people had been pulled out of the building thus far.
According to Taipower, Taiwan’s electrical provider, over 91,000 individuals nationwide are currently without electricity.
Train lines were damaged, and schools and workplaces were closed across large areas of Hualien.
Images from Hualien, on the east coast of Taiwan close to the epicentre, showed a large glass-fronted building partially collapsed onto its front
Part of a building collapsed onto a series of parked motorcycles. It is not known if there are any casualties
Massive dust clouds thrown up by a landslide created as a result of the powerful quake
Because Taiwan is located close to the meeting point of two tectonic plates that encircle the Pacific Ocean and generate intense seismic and volcanic activity extending from Indonesia to Chile, the island is frequently struck by earthquakes.
In order to minimize earthquake-related deaths, the self-governing island has stringent building codes, disaster awareness initiatives, and emergency plans in place from the government.
In September 1999, a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Taiwan, resulting in approximately 2,400 fatalities and 50,000 demolished or damaged structures.
