A 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit Taiwan on Wednesday, the strongest to hit the island in at least 25 years. The earthquake also sparked a tsunami warning for the islands of southern Japan and the Philippines, although authorities there said the warning had passed early on Wednesday.
Local television stations showed partially collapsed buildings in the eastern county of Hualien, near the quake’s epicenter. Electricity operator Taipower said more than 87,000 households in Taiwan were without power. Four people were confirmed dead and at least 50 were injured as emergency services continued to search for victims and assess damage.
The quake hit at 07.58am at a depth of 15.5km just off the eastern coast of Taiwan, according to Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration. Reports from China said the earthquake was felt in Shanghai, nearly 900 kilometers away.
The government in Taipei said no major damage had been reported in the capital.
Japan’s weather agency later downgraded the earlier tsunami warning to an advisory and revised the strength of the quake to magnitude to 7.7.
Early reports also pointed to significant economic impact, particularly on the island’s semiconductor manufacturing sector, which provides around 50 per cent of the world’s “legacy” microchips used in medical devices, car electronics and weapons.
By some estimates Taiwan also manufactures around 90 per cent of the world’s most advanced microchips, used in everything from smart phones to supercomputers.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co said it had evacuated some manufacturing plants and its safety systems were operating normally.
Formosa Petrochemical also shut down operations at the Mailiao refinery as a precautionary measure, the company said.
Updated: April 03, 2024, 4:47 AM
