Asian nation braces for risky aftershocks
Deadly tremor strikes near popular tourist destination
The death toll rose to nine and scores of people were missing or trapped in rubble Wednesday after a massive earthquake struck Taiwan − and authorities warned that dangerous aftershocks could rock the densely populated island nation for several more days.
Taiwan’s National Fire Agency said at least 963 people were injured when the earthquake, measured as 7.2 magnitude by Taiwan officials and 7.4 by the U.S. Geological Survey, struck near the east coast city of Hualien at about 8 a.m. local time. Hualien is a popular tourist destination 100 miles south of the capital, Taipei, where buildings swayed and some damage was reported.
Some buildings tumbled or were left leaning precariously while scores of people were trapped inside the damaged structures. Social media videos showed rescuers using ladders to help trapped people out of windows. Buildings could be seen collapsing onto streets. Bridges swayed, and items on shelves splattered onto the ground.
Hundreds of thousands of residents lost power, but most electricity had been restored, utility company Taipower said, adding the island’s two nuclear power stations were unaffected.
Fire authorities said they had already evacuated some 70 people trapped in tunnels near Hualien city, including two Germans. But they had lost contact with 50 workers aboard four minibuses heading to a hotel in a national park, Taroko Gorge, they said, adding rescuers were looking for them. Another 80 people are trapped in a mining area, though it was not immediately clear if they were inside a mine, Reuters reported.
The quake shook Taipei, knocking out power in several parts of the city.
“It was very strong. It felt as if the house was going to topple,” said Chang Yu-lin, 60, a worker in a Taipei hospital.
Some damage was reported to the Taipei subway system, which closed briefly before resuming partial service. The rail link to the area was expected to reopen on Thursday, President-elect Lai Ching-te, who is set to take office next month, told reporters. Taiwan’s highspeed rail operator said no damage or injuries were reported on its trains, although services would be delayed as it made inspections.
Many aftershocks rolled across the country within five hours of the quake, reaching up to 6.5 magnitude. Wu Chien-fu, director of Taiwan’s Seismology Center, said aftershocks reaching 7.0 could shake the nation of 23 million people for three or four more days.
Aftershocks could be felt in Taipei, with more than 50 recorded in the hours after the earthquake, weather officials said.
Linda Chen, 48, said her apartment in downtown Hualien city had been so badly damaged in an earlier earthquake in 2018 that they had to move. But her new apartment block was damaged, too, in the latest earthquake.
“We worry the house could collapse anytime. We thought we had already experienced it once in Hualien and it would not hit us again, because God has to be fair,” she said, according to Reuters. “We are frightened. We are so nervous.”
A woman who runs a bed-and-breakfast in Hualien city said she scrambled to calm her guests who were scared by the quake.
“This is the biggest earthquake I have ever experienced,” said the woman, who asked to be identified only by her family name, Chan.
The quake was Taiwan’s largest since the 1999 Jiji earthquake that killed over 2,400 people and injured 11,300 more.
The temblor set off a tsunami warning for southern Japan and the Philippines that was later lifted.
In Japan, the weather agency put the quake’s magnitude at 7.7, saying several small tsunami waves reached parts of the southern prefecture of Okinawa, while downgrading its tsunami warning to an advisory. In the Philippines, seismology officials warned coastal residents in several provinces to move to higher ground.
Chinese state media said the quake was felt in the southeastern province of Fujian, while a Reuters witness said it was also felt in the commercial hub of Shanghai.
There was no tsunami threat to Hawaii, the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam or the west coast of North America, the U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center said.
The White House said Wednesday that it is monitoring the impacts from the earthquake on Taiwan and Japan. “The United States stands ready to provide any necessary assistance. All those affected are in our prayers,” National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement.
The earthquake’s epicenter was 6 miles northeast of Hualien City, an area known as “the Hawaii of Taiwan” because of its warm, tropical weather, lush greenery and crystal clear ocean waters.
Wu said the quake’s epicenter was very shallow and close to land, the result of movement in the Philippine Sea Plate. He said it felt strong in Taipei because of the “basin effect,” which occurs when earthquake reverberations become trapped in soft ground.
Taiwan, prone to earthquakes, sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” where 90% of the world’s temblors take place. Emergency services are prepared for quake rescue and recovery.
Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen said the military will be deployed to help with rescue and recovery operations. She pledged that federal and local governments would cooperate with each other to “minimize the impact of the disasters.”
Taiwan’s air force said six F-16 fighter jets had been slightly damaged at a major base in the city from which jets are often scrambled during incursions by China’s air force, but the aircraft are expected to return to service very soon.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., a major supplier of chips to Apple and Nvidia, said it had evacuated some fabrication plants and safety systems were operating normally.
“To ensure the safety of personnel, some fabs were evacuated according to company procedure,” the semiconductor giant said in a statement.
Wu said an investigation is underway to determine why not all Taiwanese received a nationwide alert issued following the quake.
“At present the most important thing, the top priority, is to rescue people,” said Lai, speaking outside one of collapsed buildings in Hualien.