Nine dead in Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in 25 years

People must be confined in collapsed buildings. Taiwan’s authorities report nine dead and nearly 900 injured.

An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 was recorded off the east coast of Taiwan. The earthquake struck around 8 o’clock Wednesday morning local time, which corresponds to 2 o’clock in the morning Norwegian time.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Taiwanese authorities reported that nine people had died and 882 people had been injured. At least 130 people are said to be trapped in collapsed buildings and tunnels, according to the authorities.

Buildings have collapsed

Over 100 buildings were destroyed or damaged, most of them in the city of Hualien on the east coast of Taiwan. Several people lost their lives when they were hit by boulders from mountain sides.

According to state media, the earthquake is the most powerful to have hit the country since 1999.

Rescue workers are now working furiously to get trapped and injured people out of collapsed buildings in Hualien:

According to the news agency Reuters, witnesses report that the strong tremor was noticeable in Taiwan’s capital Taipei, where the power is out in several areas.

The industrial giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has evacuated employees from factories after the earthquake, according to the Bloomberg news agency.

Downgraded tsunami warning

A tsunami of up to three meters was expected to reach the island of Okinawa in Japan. However, the warning was downgraded somewhat later by the Japan Meteorological Institute, which said the waves could reach a height of one meter. At 11 a.m. local time, the warning was lifted.

The American Pacific Tsunami Warning Center announced shortly after 4 o’clock on Wednesday night Norwegian time that the danger was largely over.

According to Japanese meteorological authorities, the quake is very shallow.

Chinese authorities report that the quake was felt in Fujian province and in Shanghai.