The seismic event in Taiwan, the most powerful in a quarter of a century, resulted in a death toll of at least seven and injuries to over 90 individuals. Subsequent to the earthquake, which registered at 7.3 on the Richter scale, tsunami warnings were issued by mainland China, Japan, and the Philippines.
The tremours led to at least 26 buildings collapsing, with others delivering an ominous lean, particularly those situated in closer proximity to Hualien county, the epicentre. The underground rail system in Taipei, the capital, was suspended, and power outages were suffered across Taiwan’s southern and eastern territories.
The 1999 seismic event in Taiwan, which registered a 7.6 magnitude, was the last to surpass this current event in strength, leaving a devastating mark with 2,400 fatalities and the destruction of 50,000 structures.
Following the earthquake, small tsunamis hit southern regions of Japan. Nevertheless, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, Yoshimasa Hayashi, reported no injury or damage in Japan, advising those in Okinawa to seek higher ground as a safety measure until all tsunami warnings have been revoked.
Subsequent to the earthquake, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the largest producer of advanced microchips globally, partially suspended its daily operations, as did three other semiconductor factories.
Taiwan, located off the southern coast of China, is a self-governing island, the status of which has been a source of international tension. Almost all nations, inclusive of the United States, adhere to the One China policy and do not maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan. However, Washington and its allies insist they are devoted to keeping the present state of affairs with Taiwan continuing to function independently as a liberal democracy.
The Chinese government expressed their desire for peaceful reunification with Taiwan, but they refuse to reject the option of force if Taiwan were to declare independence officially.
Reflecting on the quake, Hsien-hsuen Keng, a resident of Taipei, commented, “Earthquakes are a common occurrence, and I’ve grown accustomed to them. But today was the first time an earthquake scared me to tears. I was awakened by the earthquake. I had never experienced intense shaking like this before.”
A woman recounted that the tremors she felt in her apartment on the fifth floor were so powerful it reminded her of the earthquake drills she participated in during her primary school days. This was, in fact, her first encounter with such a scenario outside of those exercises. The impact of the earthquake was detected as far as Kinmen, an island under Taiwanese jurisdiction off the Chinese coastline, revealed Wu Chien-fu, the leader of Taiwan’s earthquake surveillance agency. Reports from Chinese press verified that the quake was noticed in Shanghai and numerous provinces lining the south-eastern coast of China. This information comes supplemented with further reports from AP.