(CTN News) – Taiwan was struck by a major earthquake during the morning rush hour on Wednesday, causing buildings to collapse and triggering tsunami warnings in Japan and the Philippines.
According to Taiwanese officials, nine people have died and 963 have been injured in the strongest earthquake since 1999.
Located near the eastern city of Hualien, the quake struck at 7:58 a.m. Beijing time (2358 GMT), with a magnitude of 7.4, according to the United States Geological Survey.
This is the strongest earthquake to hit the region since 1999. Approximately 35 kilometers (22 miles) of depth were reached, which is considered shallow. A 7.2 magnitude earthquake was reported by Taiwan’s earthquake monitoring agency.
In Taipei, the capital, some 100 miles away, there was strong shaking, and aftershocks continued for roughly two hours. As far as Shanghai, approximately 500 miles north, was reported to have felt the earthquake in China.
Observations on television showed extensive damage, with buildings listed to the side after being shaken off their foundations. Approximately 300,000 people live in the Hualien area, where the authorities have suspended work and school.
Furthermore, eight power plants were shut down for safety reasons, and 87,000 residents in Hualien, the epicenter, were without power, but power remains available throughout the island.
Following the earthquake, the world’s leading manufacturer of cutting-edge microchips evacuated its production lines.
Taiwan’s transportation authorities announced the suspension of train service across the island, as well as the suspension of subway service in Taipei. Rockslides were seen covering roads and houses that were knocked off axis in videos taken from the epicenter.
As of Wednesday evening, the Japan Meteorological Agency had lifted its initial tsunami warning. In about 15 minutes after the quake struck, a wave of 30 centimeters (about 1 foot) was detected on the coast of Yonaguni island. Miyako and Yaeyama islands were also likely to be struck by waves, according to the JAMA.
Residents in coastal areas of the Philippines were advised to move inland or to higher ground. No tsunami warning was issued in the Philippines, but residents were advised to move to higher ground.
Several thousand buildings were destroyed and more than 2,400 people died in the Sept. 21, 1999, “Jiji” earthquake, which measured 7.3 on the Richter scale and measured 7.3 on the Richter scale.
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