- A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck the East Asian island republic of Taiwan.
- Japan and the Philippines have lifted previously issued tsunami warnings hours after the severe earthquake.
- Local media in Taiwan are reporting significant damage, and the number of dead and injured is rising.
According to official figures, at least nine people have died and over a thousand have been injured. This was confirmed by the island’s national fire authority. At least 143 people are still trapped in tunnels or buildings. That includes 71 miners who are stuck in two quarries, authorities said. Numerous buildings sustained immense damage. In total, as of the afternoon (local time), the authorities spoke of more than 1,100 accidents of various kinds.
“No information about affected Swiss citizens”
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When asked, the FDFA writes: “The FDFA is aware of the earthquake in Taiwan. The Trade Office of Swiss Industries in Taipei is in contact with the relevant local authorities. The FDFA has not received any official requests for humanitarian assistance from the relevant authorities. The FDFA currently has no information about affected Swiss nationals. Corresponding clarifications are underway. Around 400 Swiss citizens are registered as living in Taiwan and around 20 people are registered as Travel Admin (transients). Swiss nationals on site are asked to follow the instructions of the local authorities.”
The Taiwan Meteorological Agency reports a magnitude 7.2 quake. The epicenter was southeast of Hualien County in eastern Taiwan. A total of more than 100 aftershocks were recorded there within eight hours of the quake.
Strong earthquake shakes Taiwan
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Legend: This building is in danger of collapsing. AP Photo/Johnson Lai
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Caption: Members of a search and rescue team prepare for a rescue operation in Hualien, Taiwan. AP/National Fire Agency
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Caption: A building in Hualien, eastern Taiwan, has partially collapsed. Keystone/TVBS
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Caption: Members of a search and rescue team search for victims in a leaning building. AP/National Fire Agency
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Caption: A man checks a partially collapsed building in Hualien, eastern Taiwan. Keystone/TVBS
Eyewitnesses say that the quake was also clearly felt in the capital Taipei. People share pictures and videos from the affected regions on social media. Buildings shake or collapse. In Hualien on Taiwan’s east coast, buildings were sometimes badly damaged, local media reported.
Rail traffic was at least partially and temporarily stopped in several large cities on the island.
The large neighboring country China offered Taiwan its help. Chinese authorities are very concerned about the situation, said Chinese Taiwan Affairs Office spokeswoman Zhu Fenglian in Beijing. The mainland is monitoring the situation and is ready to offer disaster assistance.
Production stop at an important chip manufacturer
It remained unclear whether Taiwan would accept China’s help. There are always tensions between the two states because Beijing counts the island as part of China, even though an independent and democratically elected government has been in power in Taiwan for decades.
East Asia correspondent: “Taiwan was lucky in misfortune”
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“Many Taiwanese were on their way to work when the earth began to shake. An earthquake that was felt hundreds of kilometers away, all the way to mainland China.
The epicenter was off the east coast of Taiwan. From here there are also pictures of individual collapsed buildings, damaged streets and bridges. Injuries are mainly reported in the sparsely inhabited, mountainous hinterland. The strong earthquake triggered landslides here.
It looks like Taiwan has a lucky break. A similarly strong earthquake 25 years ago resulted in 2,400 deaths. However, the east coast of Taiwan, which is now more severely affected, is significantly less densely populated than the west coast, where most of the 23 million residents live. The earthquake was also clearly felt in the large cities on the west coast, but public transport, which had been temporarily suspended, is already running again.
East Asia correspondent Samuel Emch
Taiwan’s major semiconductor maker TSMC halted production, the Hsinchu City Industrial Park Authority said. The company reportedly evacuated workers from production during the quake. The company is currently checking the condition of the machines.
Legend: The east coast of the island is particularly affected. Keystone/AP TVBS
The tremors also damaged various roads in Taiwan. The state-owned energy supplier reported that around 400,000 households in Taiwan lost power due to the earthquake. Tens of thousands were still without power afterwards. According to the state-owned Taiwan Power Company, 99 percent of the affected households had power back by mid-afternoon (local time), the official Taiwanese news agency CNA reported.
The last time Taiwan was hit was in September 1999 by a magnitude 7.3 quake. At that time, more than 2,400 people died. Taiwan lies in an earthquake-prone zone on the boundary of the Eurasian plate and the Philippine Sea plate.
Two German citizens freed from tunnel
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The two Germans trapped in a tunnel in Taiwan after an earthquake have been freed. This was announced by the Taiwan Fire Department. The two were in the Chongde Tunnel, which is located in Taroko National Park. The authorities have not yet provided any information about the condition of the two. The national park is located north of the city of Hualien, where the quake caused severe damage on Wednesday morning (local time).
Three meter high waves were initially feared in Japan
In Japan, northeast of Taiwan, the earthquake triggered a warning of a three-meter-high tsunami for nearby islands in southwestern Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture. Authorities in the Philippines also issued a tsunami warning. A few hours after the earthquake, both countries lifted the warnings.