A powerful earthquake shook Taiwan. The magnitude of the earthquake was 7.4 on the Richter scale. Following the earthquake, tsunami warnings were issued for Taiwan and neighboring countries.
On Wednesday (April 3), at 7:58 AM local time, the earthquake struck 18 kilometers south of Hualien City in eastern Taiwan. The depth of the earthquake was 15.5 kilometers.
BBC Online reported that at least nine aftershocks occurred in Taiwan after the earthquake, some measuring 4 or higher on the Richter scale.
Some buildings in Hualien were partially damaged by the earthquake, with some seen collapsing. A local seismologist stated that this was the most powerful earthquake in Taiwan in the past 25 years.
The Central Weather Bureau stated that after the earthquake, they evacuated workers from some factories to ensure their safety.
Footage captured during the earthquake in Taipei, the capital, showed buildings shaking violently. Items were seen falling from shelves, and panic ensued.
In some videos from the mountainous regions of the country, landslides were observed due to the earthquake. However, the extent of the damage has not yet been determined.
Footage circulated by local media showed residential buildings swaying during the earthquake. Residents were evacuated from there, and students were brought out of schools.
According to the monitoring group NetBlocks, there has been widespread disruption of electricity and internet connectivity across the country.
After this earthquake, neighboring countries issued tsunami warnings for coastal areas up to 3 meters high in southern and western Taiwan. Similar warnings were issued for the Philippines.
However, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center stated that the tsunami risk has now passed, two hours after the earthquake.
In September 1999, Taiwan was hit by a devastating earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale. In that catastrophic event, two thousand four hundred people died, and more than five thousand houses were destroyed.
