Asia
Asia
In this photo provided by Hualien City Government, firefighters are seen at a collapsed building during a rescue operation following an earthquake in Yuli township, Hualien County, eastern Taiwan, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022. A strong earthquake shook much of Taiwan on Sunday, toppling at least one building and trapping two people inside and knocking part of a passenger train off its tracks at a station.(Hualien City Government via AP)
TAIPEI: A 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit the sparsely populated southeastern part of Taiwan on Sunday (Sep 18), the island’s weather bureau said, derailing train carriages, causing a convenience store to collapse and trapping people on a mountain.
The weather bureau said the epicentre was in Taitung county, and followed a 6.4 magnitude temblor on Saturday evening in the same area, which caused no casualties.
The US Geological Survey measured the quake at a magnitude 7.2 and at a depth of 10km.
Taiwan’s fire department said all four people were rescued from a building housing a convenience store that collapsed in Yuli, while three people whose vehicle fell off a damaged bridge were rescued and taken to hospital.
The Taiwan Railways Administration said six carriages came off the rails at Dongli station in eastern Taiwan after part of the platform canopy collapsed, but the fire department said there were no injuries.
More than 600 people are trapped on the scenic Chike and Liushishi mountain areas by blocked roads, though there were no injuries and rescuers were working to reopen the roads, the department said.
Japan’s Meteorological Agency and the US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued tsunami advisories shortly after the quake, but both later sent updated bulletins saying there was no longer a threat of high waves.
The quake could be felt across Taiwan, the weather bureau said. Buildings shook briefly in the capital Taipei.
Science parks in the southern cities of Tainan and Kaohsiung, home to major semiconductor factories, said there was no impact on operations.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said there was “no known significant impact for now”.
This is the second earthquake to hit Taitung in as many days.
On Saturday, a 6.5-magnitude quake hit at just after 9.30pm about 50km north of the coastal city of Taitung at 10km deep, the USGS said.
That quake could be felt across Taiwan, according to the island’s weather bureau. Buildings shook briefly in the capital Taipei.
Taiwan lies near the junction of two tectonic plates and is prone to earthquakes.
More than 100 people were killed in a quake in southern Taiwan in 2016, while a 7.3 magnitude quake killed more than 2,400 people in 1999.
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