Earthquake in Taiwan causes buildings to collapse

At least two buildings collapsed in the city of Hualien, east of Taiwan, after the 7.4 magnitude earthquake that hit the region. It is estimated that some people are trapped, a fire official said. “The earthquake was close to the surface and is shallow. It was felt throughout Taiwan and the islands […] It’s the strongest in 25 years,” said Wu Chien-fu, director of the Taiwan Seismological Center, referring to the 7.6-magnitude earthquake in September 1999 that killed 2,400 people. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) indicated that the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.4.

According to the USGS, the earthquake had its epicenter 18 km south of Hualien, with a depth of 34.8 km. Authorities in Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines have issued tsunami warnings for their coastal regions, although the threat has been reduced, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said. Even so, the main airport in the Okinawa region, in southern Japan, suspended flights due to the risk of a tsunami.

The earthquake was felt throughout Taiwan and had several aftershocks, one of them measuring 6.5 near Hualien, according to the island’s meteorological agency. In the capital, Taipei, the subway suspended traffic for almost an hour, and authorities asked residents to be alert for gas leaks. “I wanted to run away, but I wasn’t dressed. It was so powerful,” said Kelvin Hwang, a guest at a downtown hotel.

*With information from AFP