The earthquake was the strongest in 25 years, according to the Taiwan Meteorological Institute. In 1999 the island was hit by a major earthquake. About 2,400 people died then.
‘Not unique’
According to the Taiwanese measuring agency, this morning’s quake had a magnitude of 7.2 on the Richter scale. The Japanese Meteorological Institute first reported 7.5, but later adjusted this to 7.7 and the American measuring service speaks of a force of 7.4.
“Earthquakes are not unique in Taiwan, but this one is exceptionally heavy,” says correspondent Roland Smid from China. “There was also a bit of shaking in my Shanghai this morning. Ceiling lights went back and forth in several Chinese provinces.”
In the city of Hualien, close to the epicenter, buildings collapsed and damaged. View the images here:
At least four people have died. Fifty others were injured.
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen is deploying the military to help with the rescue operations, the BBC reports. She calls on residents to keep an eye on possible updates from the authorities. It is also better for people not to use an elevator, because there is still a risk of aftershocks.
Metro shut down
Public transport was stopped in the capital Tapei, but the metros were running again an hour after the quake. Taiwanese people are without power in several places, but there are no large-scale power outages.
A tsunami warning was initially issued for islands of Japan and the Philippines. Authorities warned of waves of 3 meters or more, but this was later adjusted to waves of 30 centimeters.
