Taiwan earthquake today: The ‘moment of chaos’ when tremors hit Taipei, triggering tsunami warning

Taiwan Earthquake: The strongest earthquake in Taiwan in 25 years jolted the island during the morning rush hour on Wednesday, resulting in damage to buildings and highways and claiming the lives of four individuals.

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Taiwan’s national fire agency confirmed four fatalities in Hualien County, with at least 57 others sustaining injuries from the quake that occurred shortly before 8 am

Witness the pivotal moment when the earthquake struck the capital city.

Dashcam footage captures the moment a 7.5 magnitude earthquake strikes on a highway in eastern Taiwan.

According to local reports from the United Daily News, three hikers perished in rockslides within Taroko National Park near the offshore epicenter.

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The earthquake’s tremors were also felt in Shanghai and various provinces along China’s southeastern coast, as well as in southern Japan. Taiwan’s location along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” characterized by a network of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean, contributes to its susceptibility to earthquakes, with a significant portion of global seismic activity occurring in this region.

The Japan Meteorological Agency reported detecting a tsunami wave measuring 30 centimeters (about 1 foot) on the coast of Yonaguni island approximately 15 minutes after the earthquake struck.

Smaller waves were also recorded in Ishigaki and Miyako islands. Japan deployed military aircraft to assess the impact in the Okinawa region.

According to Taiwan’s earthquake monitoring agency, the magnitude of the earthquake was measured at 7.2, while the US Geological Survey estimated it to be 7.4. The quake originated approximately 18 kilometers (11.1 miles) south-southwest of Hualien and had a depth of about 35 kilometers (21 miles).

Following the main quake, multiple aftershocks occurred. One of the subsequent quakes, reported by the USGS, measured 6.5 magnitude and had a depth of 11.8 kilometers (7 miles). Shallow earthquakes are generally associated with more surface damage.

(With inputs from agencies)