What we know about the 7.4 magnitude earthquake that struck Taiwan

A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake that rocked Taiwan during Wednesday's morning commute was the strongest to hit the island in 25 years.

It initially raised expectations of tsunami waves in China, Japan and the Philippines, but those warnings were later cancelled. More than 100 aftershocks occurred and more are expected over the next three or four days.

Here's what we know about the earthquake and its aftermath.

What is the death toll?

Taiwan's fire department said Wednesday evening that the quake killed at least nine people and injured more than 930 others. Dozens remained trapped.

The state-owned Central News Agency reported that among the dead were at least three hikers who were injured by falling rocks on a road in Taroko National Park.

What parts of Taiwan are affected?

The greatest damage occurred in Hualien County on the east coast near the epicenter, which was about 11 miles south of Hualien City, the county seat. Authorities said all nine people who died were in the county. But the earthquake was felt all over Taiwan.

Buildings shook for more than a minute in the capital, Taipei. Rail services were suspended across the island. Airlines canceled or delayed dozens of flights. More than 360,000 homes were without power at some point on Wednesday, according to Taiwan's Central Emergency Operations Center.

What was damaged?

The worst damage occurred in Hualien City, where several buildings collapsed and ground floor levels were destroyed. One building, a 10-storey building with a mix of homes and shops, was one of the centers of the rescue effort.

Across Taiwan, the earthquake and its aftershocks caused 15 buildings to partially collapse and damaged 67 others. The Taiwan Fire Department reported that a building in Changhua County on the west coast completely collapsed.

The quake also triggered at least nine landslides on a major highway in Hualien, according to Taiwan's Central News Agency, which said part of the road collapsed.

How prepared is Taiwan?

Taiwan has improved its preparedness over decades of exposure to devastating earthquakes. It has improved its early warning system since the 1980s. It also updated its building codes in 2022, requiring owners of vulnerable structures to install reinforcements.

Taiwan established an urban search and rescue team and opened several emergency medical operations centers after an earthquake in central Taiwan killed nearly 2,500 people in 1999. The government also ordered a wave of building inspections in 2018 after 17 people died in an earthquake. In Hualien City. .

Why does Taiwan suffer from so many earthquakes?

Several deadly earthquakes have struck Taiwan in the past century. The island is located on several active faults associated with seismic activity. It is located near the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an area that the US Geological Survey says is the most seismically and volcanically active in the world.

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