On April 3, 2024, at 7:58 am, a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 struck the eastern sea region of Taiwan, as reported by Taiwan Central Weather Administration.
Whole Taiwan affected, train operations suspended in Taipei and Kaohsiung
The earthquake was felt across Taiwan and resulted in the suspension of train operations in Taipei and Kaohsiung for 40 to 60 minutes.
Hualien, an eastern county of Taiwan, was the most impacted by the earthquake, with several buildings collapsing due to the tremors.
The Hualien county government has suspended schools and work in the area as it continues to experience aftershocks.
Earthquake aftermath videos on social media
Netizens in Taiwan had taken to social media to show the impact of the earthquake and its aftermath.
Comments could be heard from the video in Mandarin which translates to “its collapsing”, referring to a building situated in the vicinity collapsing.
Neighbouring countries worried, issues Tsunami Warning
Neighboring countries have also issued tsunami warnings in response to the earthquake. Japan’s Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning for the coastal areas of Okinawa Prefecture, cautioning residents of a potential 3-meter-high tsunami in the region. This warning is the first issued by the agency for the prefecture’s coastal areas since the 9.1-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Japan in 2011.
China’s Tsunami Advisory Centre also issued a red alert, the most severe warning in the country, as a tsunami may form in the surrounding waters of the earthquake’s epicenter.
State-owned media Xinhua News reported that the tsunami could bring “catastrophic effects to the coastal areas, including the east of Taipei and Hualien.”
In Southeast Asia, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology advised residents in the northern coastal areas to evacuate to higher grounds or move farther inland due to the expected high tsunami waves.
ABS-CBN News reported that these areas are at risk of experiencing high tsunami waves.
Image and Video Sources: Facebook