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Taiwan: Rescue efforts continue after earthquake Taiwan: Rescue efforts continue after 700 injured in earthquake
(about 5 hours later)
Watch moment 7.4 magnitude earthquake hits TaiwanWatch moment 7.4 magnitude earthquake hits Taiwan
Watch moment 7.4 magnitude earthquake hits TaiwanWatch moment 7.4 magnitude earthquake hits Taiwan
Rescue efforts are taking place in Taiwan after a powerful earthquake struck off its east coast on Wednesday, killing at least four people. Rescue efforts are under way in Taiwan after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck the island's eastern coast, killing at least nine and injuring more than 800.
The 7.4 magnitude quake caused multiple buildings to collapse in Hualien, the city closest to the epicentre. Some 127 people are trapped in collapsed tunnels and on mountainous roads along the rugged coastline.
The strongest tremor to hit the island in 25 years was also felt as far as Taiwan's mountainous interior, which was rocked by huge landslides. The epicentre was 18km (11 miles) south of Hualien city, but strong tremors were felt all the way in the capital Taipei, more than 100km away.
In the capital Taipei, footage showed buildings shaking violently. This is the strongest quake to hit Taiwan in 25 years.
It also triggered tsunami alerts earlier in the day in nearby Japanese and Philippine islands which were later retracted. It caused the most damage in Hualien, where buildings fell, roads were blocked and train lines disrupted, leaving the remote region even more cut off from the rest of Taiwan.
"I was just getting out of bed when a clothes rack and a low cabinet fell over," Ocean Tsai, who lives in Hualien, told BBC Chinese. "It kept getting stronger, and I started worrying about our belongings at home. Fortunately, apart from the motorcycle tipping over, the damage was minimal."
But social media was soon filled with extraordinary footage of landslides along the coast. They tumbled down the mountains, making huge clouds billow up from the sea as they crashed into it.
It is along this coastline, with its narrow, winding roads and tunnels carved out of the rock, that dozens have become trapped. The route is popular with tourists, famed for its spectacular views from the mountains out across the Pacific Ocean. But it is also known to be treacherous, not least because of the possibility of landslides.
Rescue operations to reach 77 people trapped in the Jinwen and Qingshui tunnels along the road in Hualien were continuing into the night. Pictures show how the road outside the Qingshui tunnel has simply fallen away.
It is unclear how long those inside will be trapped - and whether or not they have food and water, or can communicate with the outside world.
Further north, Taipei was also shaken violently with footage showing collapsed residential buildings, and people being evacuated from their homes and schools. Local TV stations aired clips of smashed vehicles and stores in disarray. Power cuts and internet outages were reported across the island.
"The earthquake is close to land and it's shallow. It's felt all over Taiwan and offshore islands... It's the strongest in 25 years," said Wu Chien Fu, the director of Taipei's Seismology Centre."The earthquake is close to land and it's shallow. It's felt all over Taiwan and offshore islands... It's the strongest in 25 years," said Wu Chien Fu, the director of Taipei's Seismology Centre.
The National Fire Agency said three have died at a trail around Taroko National Park, named after a landmark gorge just outside Hualien. Taiwan, home to 23 million people, is largely mountainous in the east, where Hualien sits. It is a sparsely populated area, home to indigenous tribes. For most of its history, the area has been completely cut off from the rest of Taiwan because of its high mountains.
More than 50 people have been injured, with some trapped in buildings and tunnels around the city, the agency added. But since the 1960s the government has carved roads out of the rockface and built tunnels connecting the area to the rest of the island - it is still, however, considered a difficult place to reach, which will complicate rescue efforts.
Taiwanese chipmaking giant TSMC said it has evacuated some of its factories in Hsinchu and southern Taiwan for its staff's safety, but it added that its safety systems are operating normally. TSMC is a major producer of semiconductors for tech firms including Apple and Nvidia. These are stunning routes that take locals and tourists to the Taroko National Park, named after a landmark gorge, just outside Hualien, which is considered to be one of the natural wonders of Asia. Three of those who died were hikers on a trail there and 50 of those who are trapped are staff who were being transported to a popular hotel, ahead of a four-day long weekend.
Apple supplier Foxconn did not immediately respond to BBC's request for comment. Wednesday's earthquake hit at 07:58 local time (23:58 GMT) at a depth of 15.5km and set off at least nine aftershocks at magnitude 4 or larger.
Earlier, the earthquake set off tsunami warnings on the island and its neighbouring countries. "The government must ensure the accuracy of information and provide timely assistance to people in need, so that people can feel at ease and safe," President Tsai Ing-wen said.
A partially collapsed building in Hualien city Taiwan's foreign office issued a statement on X expressing thanks for the offers of aid from "allies and friends" like Japan and Paraguay.
In Taipei, footage on local media outlets show collapsed residential buildings and people being evacuated from their homes and schools. The impact of the earthquake has also smashed vehicles and thrown items inside stores in disarray, according to clips aired by local broadcaster TVBS. Taiwan's agency, which engages with China, the Mainland Affairs Council, also thanked China for its concern but said there would be no request for assistance from that side. Beijing claims sovereignty of the self-governed island, which sees itself as distinct from China.
Power cuts and internet outages have been reported across the island, according to internet monitoring group NetBlocks. While Taiwan has a history of quakes, both locals and foreigners who have lived in Taipei for years say this is the strongest quake they have experienced in decades.
The earthquake has unleashed landslides in Taiwan's very mountainous interior The last major quake - at 7.6-magnitude - hit in September 1999, killing 2,400 people and destroying 5,000 buildings.
Wednesday's earthquake hit at 07:58 local time (23:58 GMT) at a depth of 15.5km and has set off at least nine aftershocks at magnitude 4 or larger. The earthquake's epicentre is located about 18km (11 miles) south of Hualien, according to the US Geological Survey.
Hualien is located on Taiwan's east coast, in a sprawling, mountainous region. Cities in the area are sparsely populated. With major roads and rail lines connecting Hualien to the rest of Taiwan now down, rescue teams will likely have to enter the area by air.
In September 1999, a 7.6-magnitude earthquake hit Taiwan, killing 2,400 people and destroying 5,000 buildings.
Inside an apartment building in New Taipei City
In neighbouring Japan, authorities had earlier warned that tsunami waves of up to 3m were expected to reach large areas of its southwestern coast.
The Japan Meteorological Agency agency later downgraded the warning, but has asked residents to remain "vigilant for aftershocks with similar intensity" for about a week.
The Philippines' seismology agency also issued a tsunami warning shortly after the quake hit, urging residents to evacuate to higher ground - which it later cancelled.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in an update about two hours after the quake hit that the tsunami threat "has now passed".
Chinese state media said tremors were felt in parts of China's south-eastern Fujian province.
Additional reporting by Peter Hoskins in SingaporeAdditional reporting by Peter Hoskins in Singapore
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