Powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake hits Taiwan
Image: (TVBS via AP)
In this image taken from a video footage run by TVBS, a man checks a partially collapsed building in Hualien, eastern Taiwan on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. A powerful earthquake rocked the entire island of Taiwan early Wednesday, collapsing buildings in a southern city and creating a tsunami that washed ashore on southern Japanese islands.(TVBS via AP)
People are trapped in Taiwan after a powerful earthquake that hit the island on Wednesday morning caused the collapse of at least 26 buildings, according to Taiwan’s Central Emergency Command Center (CEOC).
There are reports of people trapped in seven of the buildings, CEOC added.
The collapsed buildings include 15 in Hualien County near the epicenter, CEOC said.
The quake has also affected power supplies, with more than 91,000 households without electricity, CEOC said, adding that the island’s state-operated Taipower Company is currently working to fix the issue.
CEOC also noted that some train services in eastern Taiwan have been suspended, but it’s estimated that they’ll be operational again by the end of the day.
Beijing has offered relief assistance after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit Taiwan on Wednesday morning, according to China’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Zhu Fenglian.
“Relevant parties in the mainland were highly concerned and express their sincere condolences to the Taiwan compatriots affected by the disaster,” Zhu said.
She added they would “pay close attention to the disaster situation and aftermaths, and are willing to provide disaster relief assistance.”
Some background: China’s ruling Communist Party claims Taiwan as its own territory, but it has never controlled the self-ruling democratic island.
Taiwan is expected to be hit by aftershocks over the next three to four days following a 7.4 magnitude earthquake on Wednesday morning, according to the island’s Central Weather Administration.
The aftershocks could be as strong as a magnitude 6.5 to 7.0, a spokesperson for the administration said at a news conference.
