Largest in 25 years
7.4 magnitude earthquake strikes Taiwan
5 dead, 97 injured
On the 3rd, a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck Taiwan.
According to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), the earthquake occurred at 7:58 AM, 4.3 miles southeast of Hualien, a city of 350,000 on the east coast of Taiwan.
This earthquake is the most powerful in 25 years, following a 7.6-magnitude earthquake in 1999 that killed over 2,000 people.
Taiwanese geologist Guo Kaiyuan stated, “The power of this earthquake is equivalent to the explosion of 32 atomic bombs.”
On X (formerly Twitter), videos of earthquake damage posted by Taiwanese citizens are flooding in.
Footage captures buildings shaking and collapsing, children being rescued through windows, and drivers trembling in fear as bridges sway.
In response, Wu Zhenfu, the head of the Taiwan Meteorological Office’s Earthquake Prediction Center, stated, “There is a possibility of aftershocks with a magnitude of 6.5 to 7.0 occurring for the next 3 to 4 days.” Indeed, a 6.5-magnitude aftershock occurred about 10 minutes after the 7.4-magnitude earthquake.
As of 4 PM, the earthquake has resulted in 4 deaths and 681 injuries, with the possibility of increased casualties highly likely. At least 26 buildings have been reported to have collapsed.
An official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, “As of noon today, we have not received or identified any casualties among our citizens,” indicating that no Koreans have been harmed.
Meanwhile, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world’s largest semiconductor foundry, also issued an evacuation order for the production line employees due to the earthquake.
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