Deadly Tremor Strikes Taiwan: 9 Killed, 800 Injured as Magnitude-7.4 Earthquake Causes Widespread Destruction
Today, Taiwan was rocked by a devastating earthquake claiming at least nine lives and leaving over 800 injured. The powerful magnitude-7.4 quake struck just before 8:00 am local time (0000 GMT), with its epicenter located 18 kilometers (11 miles) south of Hualien City. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported the quake’s depth at 34.8 kilometers.
Regrettably, this quake marks one of the strongest to hit the island in decades, setting off tsunami warnings that rippled as far as Japan and the Philippines. Tragically, among those affected, three individuals on an early-morning hike in the hills surrounding the city were fatally crushed by dislodged boulders. Additionally, a truck driver lost his life to a landslide near a tunnel entrance, with three others confirmed dead by Taiwan’s national fire agency.
The devastation primarily unfolded in Hualien county, an area along Taiwan’s eastern coast that bore the brunt of the quake’s force. Reports indicate 882 injuries and 77 individuals stranded, with 24 landslides and significant damage to 35 roads, bridges, and tunnels recorded.
Images and videos circulated on social media showcased the harrowing scenes of buildings swaying, partially collapsing, and streets strewn with debris. Traffic in the east coast region came to a standstill, hindered by landslides and falling debris damaging tunnels and roads, resulting in additional vehicle-related damages.
Wu Chien-fu, director of Taipei’s Central Weather Administration’s Seismology Center, highlighted the earthquake’s wide impact, emphasizing its shallow depth and proximity to land, causing widespread tremors across Taiwan and its offshore islands.
The magnitude-7.4 earthquake hit shortly before 8:00 am local time (0000 GMT), with the epicenter located 18 kilometers (11 miles) south of Hualien City, Taiwan. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the quake occurred at a depth of 34.8 kilometers.
This image, captured by Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA) on April 3, 2024, depicts a damaged building in Hualien following a significant earthquake that struck Taiwan’s eastern region.
Footage revealed water flowing down from a rooftop pool on a skyscraper amidst the harrowing earthquake.
Enormous waves posed a threat to a swimmer who was in a pool when the earthquake struck at approximately 9 am local time on Wednesday.
On April 3, 2024, a photograph captured by Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA) depicts a building in Hualien damaged in the aftermath of a significant earthquake that struck Taiwan’s eastern region.
On April 3, 2024, a photograph captured by Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA) depicts emergency workers providing assistance to a survivor who was trapped in a damaged building in New Taipei City.
Pictures from Hualien, situated on Taiwan’s eastern coast near the epicenter, displayed a sizable glass-fronted building partially collapsed onto its facade.
Dramatic scenes from Hualien depict immense dust clouds generated by a landslide triggered by the forceful earthquake.
During the 7.4 earthquake on Wednesday, commuters tightly grasp the handrails aboard a Taipei metro train.
The earthquake struck just before 9 am Japan time (12 am GMT, 1 am UK time) on the eastern edge of Taiwan, south of the coastal city of Hualien.
Stringent building regulations and heightened disaster preparedness measures seem to have averted a major catastrophe for the island, which frequently contends with earthquakes due to its proximity to the convergence of two tectonic plates.
Wu noted that this earthquake was the most powerful since a 7.6-magnitude quake struck in September 1999, claiming approximately 2,400 lives in the deadliest natural disaster in the island’s history.
Local TV broadcasts showcased dramatic footage of multi-story buildings in Hualien and other areas leaning precariously after the quake subsided, while a warehouse in New Taipei City collapsed.
Kelvin Hwang, a guest at a hotel in the capital, Taipei, recounted his experience, stating, “I wanted to run out, but I wasn’t dressed. That was so strong.”
Another Taipei resident, Hsien-hsuen Keng, expressed, “Earthquakes are a common occurrence, and I’ve grown accustomed to them. But today was the first time I was scared to tears by an earthquake.”
She described being jolted awake by the quake, remarking that her fifth-floor apartment shook so violently that, “apart from earthquake drills in elementary school, this was the first time I had experienced such a situation.”
Debris obstructing a section of a highway in Taichung, with rocks scattered across the road, following a significant earthquake that struck Taiwan’s eastern region.
Rescue team members combing through a damaged building in Hualien in search of survivors.
The remnants of a printing company’s factory lay in ruins after collapsing in the aftermath of a magnitude 7.5 earthquake in New Taipei.
A scene showing a landslide triggered by an earthquake striking just off the eastern coast of Taiwan.
The ruins of a printing company’s factory, collapsed in the aftermath of a magnitude 7.5 earthquake in New Taipei, Taiwan, on April 3, 2024.
Following a powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake that shook the entire island on April 3, 2024, a red building in Hualien County, Taiwan, is seen partially collapsed.
This handout photo from the Hualien Fire Department, taken and released on April 3, 2024, depicts a cordoned-off area with broken glass surrounding a McDonald’s outlet in Hualien.
Local television channels broadcasted scenes of bulldozers clearing rocks along roads leading to Hualien, a coastal city surrounded by mountains with a population of around 100,000, which was isolated due to landslides.
President Tsai Ing-wen urged local and central government agencies to collaborate, announcing that the national army would provide assistance.
Initially, authorities in Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines issued a tsunami warning. However, by around 10 am (0200 GMT), the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center stated that the threat had largely diminished.
In the capital, the metro briefly halted operations but resumed service within an hour. Residents received alerts from their local officials to inspect for any gas leaks.
Taiwan frequently experiences earthquakes due to its location near the convergence of two tectonic plates, while Japan encounters approximately 1,500 tremors annually.
In China’s eastern Fujian province, which borders Guangdong in the south, and elsewhere, social media users reported feeling significant tremors. Residents of Hong Kong also noted experiencing the earthquake.
Viewed from another perspective, the building in Hualien leans heavily at a sharp angle, with its ground floor crushed.
Numerous videos captured from various angles showcase the building in the east coast island city tilting over, forcefully dislodged from its foundations by the 7.7-magnitude tremor.
Footage circulated on social media depicted homes being rattled by the quake, with items forcefully flung from shelves onto the floor below.
The aftermath of a major earthquake striking Taiwan’s east is evident in the damage sustained by a building in New Taipei City.
Approximately 87,000 households throughout the country experienced power outages, with train and flight services also being canceled.
On the morning of April 3, a significant earthquake measuring 7.4 on the Richter scale struck Taiwan’s eastern region, triggering tsunami alerts for the self-governing island along with portions of southern Japan and the Philippines.
Emergency responders aiding a survivor following their rescue from a damaged building in New Taipei City.
Videos circulating on social media depicted residences being jolted by the earthquake, causing items to be hurled from shelves onto the floor below.
Structural damage to a building in New Taipei City following a significant earthquake striking Taiwan’s eastern region.
Around 87,000 households nationwide experienced power outages, with cancellations of train services and flights as well.
On the morning of April 3, a powerful earthquake measuring 7.4 on the Richter scale struck Taiwan’s eastern region, triggering tsunami alerts for the self-governed island as well as portions of southern Japan and the Philippines.
