Taiwan hit by massive 7.4 earthquake, at least 4 killed

A massive earthquake hit the island nation of Taiwan on Wednesday (3 April 2023) morning. The quake measured 7.4 on the Ritcher scale following which a tsunami warning was issued for Miyakojima and Okinawa islands in Japan but withdrawn after a few hours. At least four people have been reportedly killed and over 60 injured as buildings collapsed in several regions of Taiwan.

The epicenter of the earthquake, which occurred at 5:28 am local time, was about 4 kilometres from Shoufeng township in Hualien county of Taiwan. The earthquake occurred at a depth of 34.8 kilometres.

Apart from Taiwan, the countries where the effects of the earthquake were felt include Japan, Philippines, and China. A tsunami warning was also issued by the Philippines for Batanes Group of Islands, Cagayan, Ilocos Norte and Isabela.

Tsunami waves were seen hitting some southern Japanese islands. Buildings were damaged in Taiwan and the country also halted train and flight services after the quake.

According to Taiwan officials, the 7.4 magnitude earthquake was the strongest to his the nation in 25 years. Several strong aftershocks were also reported in the area. Taiwan was hit by a 7.6 quake in September 1999 in which at least 2,400 people were killed. This was the deadliest natural disaster in the country’s history.

Taiwan is in the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’, a seismic fault line in the Pacific Ocean. The Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’ region is prone to massive earthquakes.