The Impressive TimesTaiwan ,April 3 ,2024: Rescuers in Taiwan scrambled to free dozens of trapped people after the island was struck by its strongest earthquake in 25 years Wednesday, killing at least four and injuring hundreds of others.
The powerful 7.4 magnitude tremor shook the island’s east coast, hitting at 7:58 a.m. local time 18 kilometers (11 miles) south of Hualien city and at a depth of 34.8 kilometers (21 miles), according to the US Geological Survey. It was followed by several strong aftershocks with tremors felt across the island, including by CNN staff in the capital Taipei.
Taiwan’s National Fire Agency said at least four people were killed, 711 injured and 77 others remain trapped following the quake. The severity of the injuries and location of those who are unreachable remains unclear.
The deaths occurred in Hualien County, with three killed by falling rocks while hiking in the tourist hotspot Taroko Gorge. The other victim was killed in front of a tunnel on the Suhua Highway on the east coast, the NFA said.
Reports of extensive damage have also emerged, with collapsed buildings in Hualien County, thousands of homes left without power and a major highway closed due to landslides and rockfalls, according to Taiwanese officials.
Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration spokesperson warned that powerful aftershocks as high as magnitude 7 are expected to occur until the end of the week.
The quake prompted initial tsunami warnings in Taiwan, southern Japan and the Philippines, with waves less than half a meter observed along some coasts, and prompting airlines to suspend flights. All tsunami warnings were later lifted.
In Taiwan, military personnel were dispatched to help with disaster relief and schools and workplaces suspended operations as aftershocks hit the island, according to the Defense Ministry.
Taiwan’s outgoing President Tsai Ing-wen said Wednesday she had ordered her administration to “immediately” get “on top of the situation and understand local impacts as soon as possible.”
Tsai also told the administration to “provide necessary assistance, and work together with local governments to minimize the impact of the disaster.”
Taiwan is regularly rocked by earthquakes due to its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire, which runs around the edge of the Pacific Ocean and causes massive seismic and volcanic activity from Indonesia to Chile.
Wednesday’s quake is the strongest to hit Taiwan since 1999, according to the Central Weather Administration. That year, a 7.7 magnitude quake hit south of Taipei, killing 2,400 people and injuring 10,000 others.
Hualien County, parts of which are mountainous and remote, is home to about 300,000 people. A magnitude 6.2 quake hit near the area in 2018, killing at least 17 people and injuring more than 300 others.
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