Taiwan: At Least 7 Dead and Over 700 Injured in Strong Earthquake After 25 Years

On the 3rd, a strong earthquake with a magnitude of 7 or higher struck Taiwan, resulting in at least 7 deaths and 736 injuries. Rescue operations are ongoing, focusing on collapsed buildings, and the number of casualties continues to rise.

A building in Taiwan tilted by a magnitude 7.4 earthquake.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to Taiwanese authorities, among the confirmed fatalities so far, three people were crushed by rocks while hiking in the morning, and another was a truck driver buried in a landslide.

Rescue teams are conducting operations for at least 77 people trapped in collapsed buildings, so the number of casualties is expected to increase. Authorities reported that more than 125 buildings were damaged by the earthquake, including at least two buildings that completely collapsed. They also announced that about 50 people have been successfully rescued from the rubble.

This is the first earthquake with a magnitude over 7 to occur in Taiwan in 25 years. The earthquake struck at 7:58 a.m. in Hualien, a city in eastern Taiwan. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) reported the magnitude as 7.4, while Taiwanese authorities announced it as 7.2.