Deadly quake in Taiwan traps people in buildings, tunnels; 9 confirmed killed

At least nine people have died and nearly 1,000 were injured in the strongest earthquake to hit the island in 25 years, officials said Wednesday.

The Taiwan National Fire Agency said it has counted 934 injured in its latest count after the 7.4magnitude earthquake that hit during the start of rush hour. The agency said 137 people remain trapped in various tunnels in Hualien County after 75 were rescued after the earthquake, which struck about 7 a.m. local time.

“All hospitals [in Taipei City] are operating normally except the Tri-State Service General Hospital Songshan Branch which has temporarily suspended service due to power outages, fallen ceilings and water leakages,” a government statement said, according to CNN.

The statement said while all hospitals sustained some sort of structural damage, they have managed to stay open to help the many injured from the earthquake and aftershocks.

Taiwan seismology official Wu Chien-fu said in 1999 a 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck Taiwan, killing about 2,400 people. Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said the Army is providing support to local communities.

TSMC, one of the world’s largest semiconductor manufacturing companies, said while some of its fabrication plants were evacuated, all of its operating systems were performing normally.

“All personnel are safe, and those evacuated are beginning to return to their workplaces,” the company said, according to NBC News. “The company is currently confirming the details of the impact.”

The earthquake collapsed scores of buildings in the southern city of Hualien as officials issued tsunami warnings for Taiwan, southern Japan and the Philippines. The massive earthquake was followed by a 6.5-magnitude aftershock.

Taiwan’s Central Emergency Command Center announced at least 26 buildings had collapsed, with reports of people trapped in seven of the fallen structures.

Fifteen of those buildings are in Hualien, which has a population of about 106,000. Photos show the buildings collapsed or tilted off their foundations. Security footage throughout the city caught the moment the quakes hit, showing structures and roadways shaking violently as people stopped in their tracks to wait it out.

Thousands of homes and buildings were without power, as major roadways were cut-off by damage and landslides, according to Taiwanese officials.

Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration called it the strongest quake on the island in 25 years.

Photo courtesy of Taiwan Red Cross via UPI A massive earthquake measuring 7.4 magnitude rocked much of Taiwan on Wednesday, collapsing dozens of buildings, as other structures tilted on their foundations in the southern city of Hualien. Rescue workers were responding to reports of people trapped. Tsunami warnings were issued for Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines.