“Strongest earthquake in 25 years” in Taiwan has killed 4 people and injured 711

UAn earthquake measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale struck the coast of Taiwan in the early hours of Wednesday, causing four deaths and 711 injuries so far. This is the “strongest earthquake in 25 years” on the island.

According to the fire department, at least 77 people remain trapped in the wreckage of buildings that collapsed in the eastern county of Hualien, a city with around 100,000 inhabitants, according to Reuters.

The China Seismological Center indicated that the earthquake occurred at 9 am (1 am in Lisbon), with the epicenter located near Hualien, at a depth of 15.5 kilometers. It was later followed by an aftershock measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale.

Tsunami warnings were initially issued in Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, which have all since been withdrawn.

The earthquake caused considerable material damage, especially in Hualien, where at least two residential buildings partially collapsed.

Taiwanese authorities said 308,242 homes were left without electricity, although power has been restored to around 70% of homes.

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wanan declared the disaster response center level two in Taiwan’s capital and asked citizens to be careful and watch out for possible new aftershocks.

O earthquake was “the strongest in 25 years” on the island, said the director of the Taiwan Seismological Center, Wu Chien-fu. In September 1999, a 7.6 magnitude earthquake killed 2,400 people in Taiwan.

“It was very strong. It felt like the house was going to collapse,” said Chang Yu-lin, 60, who works at a Taipei hospital.

Taiwan is located on the so-called Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’, a zone of intense seismic and volcanic activity that stretches from Japan to the Pacific across South Asia.

Read Also: Beijing offers support to Taiwan after earthquake that caused at least 4 deaths

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