The quake had a magnitude of 7.2 on the Richter scale, making it the strongest to hit the country in about 25 years. Three of the deceased victims were part of a group of hikers. They might have been hit by rocks. The fourth victim is a truck driver whose vehicle was hit by a landslide. The epicenter of the quake was located southeast of Hualien, a city on the island’s east coast.
The death toll could still rise. For example, buildings have collapsed in Hualien and elsewhere. Rescue work is in full swing. Television images show that buildings there have sagged and fallen serpents. Bulldozers are used to remove debris from access roads.
Major chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is based in Taiwan. According to an employee, work had to be stopped there briefly.
Heaviest earthquake since 1999
The quake has also been noticed abroad. People in China’s Fujian province and the metropolis of Hong Kong said they had felt earthquakes on social media.
Taiwan is regularly rocked by earthquakes. That is why strict building regulations apply.
According to the seismological service, it was probably the strongest earthquake since 1999. At the time, the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.6 on the Richter scale; 2300 people died then.
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