Dead and hundreds injured in Taiwan after strongest earthquake in 25 years | Abroad

Three of the deceased victims were part of a group of hikers. They might have been hit by rocks. A fourth victim was a truck driver. His vehicle was hit by a landslide. It is unclear how the other victims died.

The death toll could still rise. At least 26 buildings, more than half of them in Hualien city, have collapsed. That was where the epicenter of the earthquake lay.

According to Taiwanese authorities, 77 people are still trapped under the rubble. Rescue workers try to free them. More than seven hundred people are said to have been injured.

Images show that buildings have sagged and are leaning. Bulldozers have been used to remove debris from access roads. Public transport has been shut down in various places on the island. In some regions, Taiwanese people are without power, but there are no large-scale power outages.

The earthquake was felt throughout Taiwan and neighboring islands. The Taiwanese Meteorological Institute is talking about an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2. That would be the most powerful quake since September 1999. Then 2,400 people in Taiwan were killed in an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6.

The Japan Meteorological Institute initially reported a magnitude 7.5 quake. This was later adjusted to 7.7. The institute has measured at least nine aftershocks with a magnitude of at least 4.

The quake occurred just off the coast of Taiwan. Tsunami warnings had been issued for Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines, but these have now been withdrawn. A few Japanese islands were hit by a small tsunami, but it had no major consequences.

Om een vraag te kunnen stellen dien je in te loggen. Log in of maak binnen 1 minuut jouw gratis account aan.