The Largest 7.4-Magnitude Earthquake to Strike Taiwan in 25 Years

Tsai Ing-wen, the departing president of Taiwan, announced on Wednesday that her government had been given the instruction to "immediately" get "on top of the situation and understand local impacts as soon as possible."

Additionally, Tsai instructed the administration to "work together with local governments to minimize the impact of the disaster, and provide necessary assistance."

Because of its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire, which circles the Pacific Ocean and generates intense seismic and volcanic activity from Indonesia to Chile, Taiwan is frequently shaken by earthquakes.

The Central Weather Administration said that the earthquake on Wednesday was the biggest to strike Taiwan since 1999. 93 miles (150 kilometers) to the south of Taipei, a strong 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck, killing 2,400 people and wounding 10,000 more.

Buildings Collapsed And Highways Damaged

The Central Emergency Command Center (CEOC) of Taiwan said that at least 26 structures, including 15 in Hualien County, collapsed during the earthquake on Wednesday.

CEOC said that about 91,000 households are without electricity and that the government-run Taipower Company on the island is attempting to resolve the problem.

Social media footage from Hualien shows several buildings collapsing and locals assisting stranded individuals in escaping through a damaged apartment building's window.

Video footage of the morning rush hour earthquake shows cars bouncing on a violently trembling highway, a Taipei overpass tilting, and commuters fighting to stay inside a shaky Taipei metro train.

At least nine rockfalls and landslides have been reported by the Eastern District Maintenance Engineering section of the Highway Bureau in the Suhua Road Corridor of Provincial Highway 9, which is currently blocked by traffic.

About 300,000 people live in Hualien County, which is adjacent to Taroko Gorge, a well-liked tourist site, and the epicenter of the earthquake. In 2018, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 struck close to Hualien, leaving at least 17 dead and over 300 injured.

Tsunami Waves

Authorities urged evacuations as the earthquake triggered tsunami warnings throughout the region.

Wave heights in Chenggong, Taiwan, reached about half a meter, around 100 kilometers (62 miles) south of the epicenter of the earthquake. The Central Weather Administration of the island sent out a warning, recommending people to seek higher ground.

A tsunami signal was also issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency for the southern Miyakojima and Okinawa islands, indicating that waves as high as three meters (almost ten feet) could occur. According to the agency, Okinawa was hit by a 30-centimeter (almost 1-foot) wave, which was the first tsunami to be seen there in 26 years.

The US Tsunami Warning Center declared a few hours later that although the threat of a tsunami had "largely passed," residents in coastal areas still needed to exercise caution.

Japan Airlines reported that all flights from the prefectures of Okinawa and Kagoshima were canceled due to the tsunami warnings in the area.

This is a developing story and will be updated.