Wednesday’s earthquake in Taiwan was the most powerful on the island in 25 years, said Wu Jianfu, director of the Taiwan Meteorological Administration’s Seismic Measurement and Forecast Center.
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“This earthquake was the most powerful in 25 years since the September 21 (1999) earthquake. It was a magnitude 7.3 earthquake,” Wu Jianfu said, as quoted by the Central News Agency.
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He also noted that Taiwan experiences two to four earthquakes per year with magnitudes between 6 and 7, but those above 7 are rare.
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The September 21, 1999 earthquake, also known as the 921 Earthquake, occurred in Jiji City. Then, as a result of the disaster, more than 2.4 thousand people died, 11.3 thousand were injured and about 100 thousand people were left without homes.
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A magnitude 7.3 earthquake occurred on Wednesday off the coast of Hualien County, located in eastern Taiwan, according to the China Seismological Administration. After that, according to the department, more than 11 tremors with a magnitude of over 4 occurred on the island. According to statistics, tremors in Hualien County occur more often than in other areas of the island; in February 2018, a devastating earthquake with a magnitude of 6.5 claimed the lives of 16 people, and 285 were injured.
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At the same time, the magnitude of the most powerful earthquake, according to updated data from Japan’s main meteorological agency, was 7.7. After this, earthquakes of magnitude 6.6 and 6.3 occurred.
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Judging by the footage posted by users on X, some buildings in Taiwan were damaged – they tilted and were partially destroyed.
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According to media reports citing the island’s fire service, one person was killed and more than 50 were injured.
