A powerful earthquake struck Taiwan early Wednesday, shaking the entire island and causing buildings to collapse. Japan has issued a tsunami warning for the southern Japanese island of Okinawa.
Taiwan 0918 Earthquake Central Emergency Command Center | Via Reuters
A powerful earthquake struck Taiwan during the morning rush hour on Wednesday, damaging buildings and triggering a tsunami that crashed into Japan’s southern islands.
A five-story building in sparsely populated Hualien City appeared to be severely damaged, with the first floor collapsing and the rest leaning at a 45-degree angle. In the capital Taipei, tiles fell off old buildings and some newer office towers. The school evacuated students to the sports fields and equipped them with yellow protective hoods. Many children were wearing motorcycle helmets to protect themselves from falling objects as the aftershocks continued.
Train services on the island of 23 million people were suspended, as were Taipei’s subway services, with a new above-ground line partially detached. The State Legislature, a school built before World War II, also suffered damage to its walls and ceiling.
Although the quake struck during the morning rush hour, there was no panic on the island, which is often hit by earthquakes, with drills held in schools and announcements made via public media and mobile phones. Schools and government offices can choose to cancel work and classes.
There was no word yet on casualties in Hualien, where a deadly earthquake in 2018 caused the collapse of a historic hotel and other buildings. On September 21, 1999, the most serious earthquake in Taiwan in recent years, measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale, killed 2,400 people, injured about 100,000 people, and destroyed thousands of buildings.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said that about 15 minutes after the earthquake, a 30 cm (about 1 foot) tsunami was detected off the coast of Yonaguni Island. Smaller waves were measured on Ishigaki Island and Miyako Island. The Japan Self-Defense Forces sent aircraft to collect information on the impact of the tsunami around the Okinawa area and prepare shelters for evacuees if necessary.
The Taiwan Earthquake Monitoring Agency gave the magnitude of the earthquake 7.2, while the U.S. Geological Survey gave the magnitude 7.4. The attack occurred at 7:58 a.m. about 18 kilometers south-southwest of Hualien at a depth of about 35 kilometers (21 miles).
Wu Jianfu, director of Taiwan’s Earthquake Monitoring Bureau, said the effects of the earthquake were detected as far away as Taiwan-controlled Kinmen Island off the coast of China. Within an hour after the earthquake, multiple aftershocks occurred in Taipei City. The USGS said a subsequent earthquake had a magnitude of 6.5 and a depth of 11.8 kilometers (7 miles).
China did not issue a tsunami warning for mainland China. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was no tsunami threat to Hawaii or the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam.
The quake is considered Taiwan’s worst since a 1999 earthquake caused widespread damage. Taiwan is located along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” the seismic fault lines that circle the Pacific Ocean where most of the world’s earthquakes occur.
About The Author
