The earthquake in eastern Taiwan has already been described as the strongest in the last 25 years.
Photo: REUTERS
A series of powerful earthquakes shook Taiwan last night. At least 4 people were killed and 711 injured. Rescue services are working hard as they continue to search for survivors under the rubble amid continuing aftershocks. The tremors have already been described as the strongest to occur on the island in the last 25 years.
Building collapse during a series of aftershocks.
Photo: GLOBAL LOOK PRESS
The first earthquake of magnitude 7.7 was recorded at 02:58 Moscow time and was felt on the islands of Okinawa and Miyako. Japan has warned of the threat of a tsunami: the height of the tsunami could reach three meters.
Video of the earthquake in Taiwan
At 03:11 and 03:35 two new earthquakes occurred with magnitudes of 6.6 and 6.3. They continued with continuous aftershocks: Taiwan’s fire department recorded more than 11 aftershocks with a magnitude greater than 4.
Consequences of the earthquake in Taiwan
Naha Airport in Okinawa stopped receiving and taking off planes and people were escorted out of the terminal. In some areas of Taiwan there are Internet interruptions, signal deterioration, server closures. Top Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC, Apple and NVIDIA evacuated staff from factories on the island.
Photo: GLOBAL LOOK PRESS
China’s Ministry of Natural Resources has announced the highest level of alert: the earthquakes could “bring catastrophic consequences” to parts of Taiwan, including its administrative center of Taipei and the counties of Pingtung, Taitung and Hualien. Many buildings on the island were tilted or destroyed, according to eyewitness images.
At 10:00 Moscow time it was known that at least 26 houses collapsed in Hualien. There is no longer any plastics factory in Xinbei. 87 thousand homes were left without electricity: electricity was cut off at substations and feeders were broken.
Japan’s main meteorological agency warned that aftershocks of similar magnitude could continue throughout the week. The Kishida government expressed its condolences to the people of Taiwan and expressed its willingness to help.
