Taiwan’s most powerful earthquake

Large-scale fatalities and devastation have been brought about by earthquakes with a magnitude comparable to the one that struck the island on Wednesday.

According to Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration, the earthquake that struck the island on Wednesday morning with a magnitude of 7.4 was the largest in 25 years.

Officials stated that following the earthquake off the east coast of Taiwan, at least one person perished and that the death toll is likely to climb.
Taiwan, Taipei — On Wednesday during Wednesday morning rush hour, a powerful earthquake occurred in Taiwan that caused buildings to collapse and prompted tsunami warnings in Japan and the Philippines.

The earthquake caused at least four deaths and numerous injuries, according to officials.

The U.S. Geological Survey said that the earthquake, which struck close to the eastern city of Hualien at 7:58 a.m. local time (2358 GMT) and had a magnitude of 7.4, was the biggest to occur since 1999. At roughly 35 kilometres (22 miles), the depth is regarded as shallow. The magnitude was reported as 7.2 by Taiwan’s earthquake monitoring agency.

About 100 miles distant, in Taipei, the capital, there was intense shaking, and aftershocks persisted for about two hours. Moreover, rumours emerged from China stating Taiwan, Taipei — During the morning rush hour, Taiwan experienced a significant earthquake that was felt by individuals as far north as Shanghai, which is roughly 500 miles distant.

Television images displayed massive destruction, with buildings toppling down from being jolted off their foundations. The roughly 300,000-person Hualien area saw the suspension of labour and education by the government. Eight power plants were shut down by the authorities for safety reasons, leaving 87,000 people without power in Hualien, the epicentre, even if the remainder of the island still has electricity.
According to Bloomberg News, following the earthquake, production lines were evacuated by TSMC, the world’s foremost manufacturer of advanced microchips.

Here is a review of some of the most significant earthquakes to have struck modern-day Taiwan:

1935 in Taichung

According to the Central Weather Administration, Taiwan’s deadliest earthquake, which had a magnitude of 7.1 and occurred close to the island’s west coast in April 1935, killed almost 3,200 people. Over 50,000 homes were demolished or severely damaged, and over 12,000 more people were injured.

1941 in Tainan

Several hundred people died in December 1941 as a result of an earthquake of a magnitude of 7.3 that struck southwest Taiwan, according to the United States Geological Survey.

Chi-Chi (1998)

In September 1999, an earthquake of a magnitude of 7.6 struck central Taiwan, killing close to 2,500 people. The U.S.G.S. and the Central Weather Administration report that the earthquake, which occurred approximately 90 miles south-southwest of Taipei, was the second-deadliest in the island’s recorded history. Over 100,000 homes were either destroyed or severely damaged, and over 10,000 people were injured

Yujing (2016)

At least 114 people were killed when a 17-story apartment building in southwest Taiwan collapsed in February 2016 due to an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.4. Later, the U.S.G.S. reported that during the preceding 100 years, 90 earthquakes of that magnitude or larger had happened within 250 kilometres, or 155 miles, of the epicentre of that quake.

According to Taiwan’s transportation authority, Taipei’s underground system and all island-wide rail service have been suspended. Videos taken near the epicentre reveal houses that have been toppled over and roads covered in rockslides.

Soon after, the Okinawa island group in southern Japan was predicted by Japan’s Meteorological Agency to see a tsunami as high as three metres (9.8 feet). About fifteen minutes after the earthquake, the Associated Press says that a wave of thirty centimetres, or roughly one foot, was seen off the coast of Yonaguni Island. According to JAMA, waves most likely also struck the Yaeyama and Miyako island beaches.

A tsunami warning was issued by the Philippines, strongly encouraging residents of four coastal districts to relocate inland or to higher ground.

Taiwanese media reports that the most recent earthquake with a magnitude The “Jiji” earthquake, which struck the island on September 21, 1999, had a magnitude of 7.3 and destroyed hundreds of buildings, killing over 2,400 people.