Rescue workers continued effort to free more than 600 people who remained trapped after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck off the east coast of Taiwan on April 3, 2024.
The strongest earthquake to hit Taiwan in nearly 25 years killed 10 people, injured more than 1,000, damaged buildings and triggered landslides in Hualien County, the worst-affected region. The ground floors of some buildings collapsed, leaving them leaning at precarious angles.
Of the 10 dead, at least four were killed inside Taroko National Park, a tourist attraction.
Aftershocks continued to rattle the area around Hualien, the epicenter, and landslides as rescue operations resumed on Thursday. A series of strong tremors and about 400 aftershocks also followed the quake throughout the day.
Taiwan’s president-elect, Lai Ching-te, who takes office next month, visited Hualien and said the government’s top priority was to rescue those trapped.
Taiwan is regularly jolted by quakes and its population is considered prepared. But the latest quake was strong enough to scare even people who are used to such shaking. “I’ve grown accustomed to (earthquakes). But today was the first time I was scared to tears by an earthquake,” said Hsien-hsuen Keng, who lives in a fifth-floor apartment in Taipei. ”I was awakened by the earthquake. I had never felt such intense shaking before.”
Key Points
- A powerful earthquake hit the east coast of Taiwan at 7:58am (23:58 GMT) in the southwest of Hualien City.
- 10 people were killed, 1,067 were injured.
- At least 48 buildings collapsed.
- More than 400 aftershocks were recorded from Wednesday morning into Thursday night.
- More than 87,000 homes are without power on the island.
- The earthquake was also felt in Shanghai, Hangzhou and Xiamen, according to Chinese media. It triggered initial tsunami warnings in Taiwan, southern Japan and the Philippines.
- The earthquake was the strongest to hit Taiwan in 25 years.
600 people still trapped
Hundreds of people were stranded the roads leading to their hotel, campground or work site were blocked. The number of people trapped inside buildings was not immediately clear.
Reports suggested that some 650 people remain cut off, the vast majority of them employees and guests at a hotel in Taroko National Park. Authorities said they were safe and had food and water, and that work to repair the roads to the hotel was nearly finished.