Everything is known about the biggest earthquake in the last 25 years to hit Taiwan

There are seven dead, more than 700 injured and at least 77 people trapped in the rubble

Taiwan was hit this Wednesday by the strongest earthquake in the last 25 years, when a magnitude 7.4 tremor hit the eastern coast of the island, causing buildings to collapse. The earthquake left at least seven dead, 736 injured and triggered tsunami warnings throughout the region.

According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake occurred at 7:58 local time, 18 kilometers (11 miles) south of the city of Hualien, at a depth of 34.8 kilometers. 23 million people live in Taiwan. Hualien County has 300,000 inhabitants.

At least seven people died, including three who were hiking on the Dekalun trail in Taroko Valley when the earthquake occurred, according to Taiwan’s National Fire Agency. A fourth victim is a truck driver who was hit by fallen rocks at the exit of a tunnel on the Suhua highway.

However, many people in the region live in remote coastal or mountainous communities that can be difficult to access, so it may take some time to understand the scale of Wednesday’s earthquake. More than 91,000 families were left without electricity.

Dozens of buildings in Hualien County collapsed, leaving at least 77 people trapped. The county was also hit by landslides and rockfalls, which led to the closure of a major coastal highway, where several tunnels were damaged. According to Taiwan’s National Fire Agency, around 60 people were trapped in the Jinwen tunnel, while 15 people were trapped in the Dachingshui tunnel. There is also news that two Germans are trapped in a third tunnel.

The earthquake triggered tsunami warnings in Taiwan, southern Japan and the Philippines, with waves of less than half a meter observed along some coasts. All alerts were later withdrawn.

Tsunami warnings also prompted airlines and airports to suspend flights, which later resumed.

The earthquake was followed by several strong aftershocks, with tremors felt across the island, including in Taipei, and magnitude 7 tremors are expected in the coming days.