By CHRISTOPHER BODEEN (Associated Press)
In Taiwan, the strongest earthquake in 25 years shook the island on Wednesday morning, damaging buildings and causing a tsunami that reached southern Japanese islands. There were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries, and the tsunami threat mostly passed about two hours later.
A five-story building in the lightly populated southeastern coastal city of Hualien near the epicenter suffered severe damage, with the first floor collapsing and the rest tilting at a 45-degree angle. In the capital, tiles fell from older buildings and some newer office complexes, while debris fell from some construction sites. Schools evacuated their students to sports fields, giving them yellow safety helmets. Some also shielded themselves with textbooks to protect against falling objects as aftershocks continued.
Train and subway services were suspended across the island of 23 million people. The newly constructed above-ground line in Taipei partially separated. The national legislature, a converted school built before World War II, also sustained damage to walls and ceilings.
Traffic along the east coast came to a virtual standstill, with landslides and falling debris hitting tunnels and highways in the mountainous region. This caused damage to vehicles, though it wasn’t clear if anyone was hurt.
Despite the earthquake occurring during the height of the morning rush hour just before 8 a.m., the initial panic subsided quickly on an island accustomed to tremors and prepared for them through school drills and public notices issued via media and mobile phones.
Nevertheless, the earthquake was powerful enough to frighten people accustomed to such shaking.
“Earthquakes are a common event, and I’ve become used to them. But today was the first time I was terrified by an earthquake,” said Taipei resident Hsien-hsuen Keng. “I was awoken by the earthquake. I had never felt such intense shaking before.”
She said her fifth-floor apartment shook so hard that “apart from earthquake drills in elementary school, this was the first time I had experienced such a situation.”
There was still no information about casualties from the epicenter near the city of Hualien, where a deadly quake in 2018 brought down a historic hotel and other buildings. The worst recent quake in Taiwan struck on Sept. 21, 1999, with a magnitude of 7.7, resulting in 2,400 deaths, around 100,000 injuries, and the destruction of thousands of buildings.
The Japan Meteorological Agency reported a tsunami wave of 30 centimeters (about 1 foot) on the coast of Yonaguni island about 15 minutes after the earthquake. Smaller waves were recorded in Ishigaki and Miyako islands. Japan dispatched military aircraft to gather information about the impact in the Okinawa region.
Taiwan’s earthquake monitoring agency stated the magnitude as 7.2, while the U.S. Geological Survey specified it as 7.4. It occurred about 18 kilometers south-southwest of Hualien and was approximately 35 kilometers (21 miles) deep. Several aftershocks followed, and the USGS indicated that one of the subsequent quakes measured 6.5 magnitude and was 11.8 kilometers (7 miles) deep. Shallow quakes tend to result in more surface damage.
According to Chinese media, the earthquake was felt in Shanghai and several provinces along China’s southeastern coast. China is about 160 kilometers (100 miles) away from Taiwan. China did not issue any tsunami warnings for the Chinese mainland.
According to Jimu News, an online outlet, residents of China’s Fujian province reported strong shaking. One man told Jimu that he woke up due to the shaking and it lasted for about a minute.
In the Philippines, residents along the northern coast were instructed to move to higher ground, but no major tsunami was reported about three hours after the quake.
Teresito Bacolcol of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology asked villagers in the provinces of Batanes, Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, and Isabela not to go back to their homes until the tsunami alert was lifted.
Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary, stated that there have been no reports of injury or damage in Japan. He advised the residents in the Okinawa region to stay on high ground until all tsunami advisories are lifted. He also warned against disinformation and encouraged people to stay calm and help others.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center mentioned that there was no tsunami danger to Hawaii or the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam. About three hours after the earthquake, it announced that the danger had mostly passed for all areas, with waves only being reported in Taiwan and southern Japan.
Taiwan is located along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” which is the line of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean where most of the world’s earthquakes occur.
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