Nine killed as Taiwan suffers worst earthquake in 25 years
British man living in Taiwan has told how he took shelter under his desk as the nation experienced its strongest earthquake in 25 years
The earthquake rocked the island during the morning rush hour, damaging buildings and major roads and leaving nine people dead.
The quake, which also injured hundreds, was centred off the coast of the rural, mountainous Hualien County, where some buildings leaned at severe angles, their ground floors crushed.
Taiwan’s national fire agency said nine people died in the quake, which struck just before 8am. The local United Daily News reported three hikers died in rockslides in Taroko National Park and a van driver died in the same area after boulders hit the vehicle.
Another 934 people were injured. Meanwhile, authorities said they had lost contact with 50 people in minibuses in the national park after the quake downed phone networks. Some 70 workers who were stranded at two rock quarries were safe, according to the fire agency, but the roads to reach them had been damaged by falling rocks.
In the capital, Taipei, tiles fell from older buildings as the earthquake shook the city, and schools evacuated their students to sports fields, equipping them with yellow safety helmets. Some children covered themselves with textbooks to guard against falling objects as aftershocks continued.
“I was at work in my office on the fifth floor at the time,” said Rob williamson, a teacher who has lived in the capital, Taipei, for 13 years. “It was shaking a lot andi hid under my desk. the school that I work at suffered no damage, but lots of local buildings had bits fall off them.
“At home, the TV fell over and things fell off the shelves. There have been several aftershocks during the day.”
He said his son’s school was closed for the day as staff checked for damage to the building.
The earthquake, which registered at a magnitude of 7.2, struck about 11 miles southa southwest of Hualien and was about 21 miles deep.
Mr Williamson said the government would usually issue mobile phone alerts if an earthquake was due to hit, but that did not happen.
The Taiwanese authorities said they had expected a relatively mild quake of magnitude of four and accordingly did not send out alerts.
In Hualien County, near the offshore epicentre, a five-storey building was left leaning at a 45-degree.
“Earthquakes are very regular here, but you get used to it,” added Mr Williamson. “Every few weeks, there will be one that is a bit bigger. This was easily the strongest I’ve felt in 13 years here.
“All schools have drills every semester, it’s pretty normal to have small earthquakes, but this one was a lot bigger than usual.”
Multiple aftershocks followed, and the USGS said one of the subsequent quakes was a magnitude of 6.5 and seven miles deep. Shallower quakes tend to cause more surface damage. The earthquake triggered a tsunami warning that was later lifted.
This was easily the strongest [quake] I’ve felt in 13 years here
Rob Williamson, pictured with wife Xenia Wu and their son, Charlie