2024-04-03 05:40:16
The earthquake occurred early in the morning and was followed by several followingshocks.
Published on 03/04/2024 07:40 Updated on 03/04/2024 09:55
Reading time: 1 min
A building in Hualien, following the earthquake that hit Taiwan, April 3, 2024. (CNA / AFP)
It was the most powerful earthquake on the island in twenty-five years. At least seven people died and 736 others were injured in Taiwan following the earthquake of magnitude greater than 7 which occurred on Wednesday April 3, according to the latest report from the authorities. The severity of the injuries was not specified. All the deaths occurred in the Hualien region, near the epicenter of the quake, in the east of the island, emergency services announced. Three victims died on a hiking trail following a falling rock and the fourth in a road tunnel.
Tsunami alerts now lifted
The earthquake occurred shortly before 8 a.m. (local hour) and was followed by several followingshocks. Its epicenter was detected at shallow seas off the eastern coast of Taiwan. Its magnitude was estimated at 7.5 by the Japan Meteorological Agency, 7.4 by the American Geological Survey and 7.2 by the Taiwan Meteorological Agency.
Eastern Taiwan has several faults & includes a plate boundary, which can produce damaging earthquakes of magnitude 7 or larger. In the last 50 years, 6 other M7+ earthquakes occurred within 155 miles/250 km of today’s earthquake. pic.twitter.com/SdVy72mol7
— USGS Earthquakes (@USGS_Quakes) April 3, 2024
The earthquake initially triggered tsunami warnings in Taiwan, the southwestern islands of Japan and several provinces in the Philippines, where people in coastal areas were urged to seek higher ground. Japanese and Philippine authorities finally canceled their alerts, and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, a regional observatory based in Hawaii (United States), announced overnight that “the threat of tsunami has now largely passed”while calling on residents of coastal regions to remain cautious.
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