A strong earthquake hit Taiwan on Tuesday night (2) — Wednesday morning (3), local time. The phenomenon, felt throughout the island, caused buildings to collapse and a tsunami warning for Japan and the Philippines, according to local authorities.
+7.5 magnitude earthquake hits Taiwan; there is a risk of tsunami
The Japanese meteorological agency predicted a tsunami of up to 3 meters. Taiwan’s earthquake monitoring agency gave the earthquake’s magnitude as 7.2, while the US Geological Survey put it at 7.5. Local television showed buildings in the eastern city of Hualien collapsing.
A five-story building in the city of Hualien appears heavily damaged in the images. The first floor collapsed and the rest of the structure was tilted at a 45-degree angle. On the roads, poles shook with the force of the phenomenon.
Train service was suspended across the island of 23 million people, as was subway service in Taipei. At the moment, the situation is already normalized.
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), another earthquake that occurred subsequently had a magnitude of 6.5 and was 11.8 kilometers deep.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was no threat of a tsunami in Hawaii or the US Pacific territory of Guam.
The earthquake is believed to be the largest in Taiwan since a 1999 temblor caused extensive damage. The country is located on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” where most of the world’s earthquakes occur.
With information from the Associated Press.
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