The island of Taiwan was hit by a 7.4 magnitude earthquake this Tuesday (2), leaving seven people dead and around 700 injured, in addition to several others trapped in rubble, according to the Taiwan National Fire Agency (NFA). ).
The earthquake occurred 21 kilometers from the city of Hualien, according to the US Geological Survey. The tremor was measured at a depth of 34.8 kilometers from the surface.
The tremor was felt in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, which is just under 200 kilometers from the epicenter. Parts of the city were left without electricity as a result of the earthquake. More than 87 thousand properties had their service interrupted, according to the company that supplies energy on the island.
According to experts, the closer to the surface, the more damage a tremor can cause. Taiwan is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, which causes massive seismic and volcanic activity from Indonesia to Chile.
Tsunami warning in Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines
An evacuation alert was issued for the Japanese coast of Okinawa, according to Japanese network NHK.
According to the broadcaster, large waves have already reached the coast of the island of Yonaguni, which belongs to Japan and is relatively close to Taiwan.
The Philippines also issued a tsunami warning for the country's coastal regions.
According to Chinese state media, the tremor was also felt in China, in the cities of Fuzhou, Xiamen, Quanzhou and Ningde in Fujian Province in China.
Hours after the tremors, Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines canceled their tsunami warnings, while the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the threat to the United States had “largely passed.”
Tsunami waves were observed off the coast of Taiwan and the southwestern islands of Japan after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck the island.
But there were no immediate reports of any major damage caused by these waves.
- In Taiwan
Tsunami heights reached nearly half a meter, or 1.5 feet, in Chenggong, approximately 100 km south of the earthquake's epicenter. Observed tsunami heights are measured in open water and can reach significantly higher levels when they reach the coast.
- In Japan
A 0.3-meter wave hit the island of Okinawa, Naha airport spokesman Hideaki Tsurodo told CNN but no waves hit the airport and it was soon reopened.
- In the Philippines
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said “no significant sea level disturbance” has been recorded since the earthquake.
“With this, any effects due to the tsunami warning have largely passed,” said the institute.
- In the USA
The threat of any tsunami risk has “largely passed,” the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said. The update issued by its warning center in Honolulu states that the assessment was “based on all available data.”
It added that small “fluctuations” in sea level, of up to 30 centimeters above and below normal tide levels, could continue “for the next few hours”.
The US Tsunami Warning Center also advised government agencies to “monitor conditions along the coast to determine if and when it is safe to resume normal activities.”
Tsunami waves of less than 0.3 meters can be observed off the coasts of Guam, Indonesia, the Northern Marianas, Palau, the Philippines, South Korea, Vietnam and Yap, the center added.
Strongest earthquake in 25 years
The earthquake that struck Taiwan on Wednesday morning is the strongest to impact the island in 25 years, according to a spokesperson for Taiwan's Central Meteorological Administration.
A 7.3 earthquake, also known as the Jiji earthquake, struck the island in 1999, according to the CWA.
This powerful earthquake hit 150 kilometers south of Taipei, killing 2,400 people and injuring another 10,000.
1st tsunami warning in Okinawa in 26 years
Wednesday's tsunami in the Okinawa area of Japan was the first observed in 26 years, with the last occurring in 1998 following a 7.7 magnitude earthquake 20 km south of Ishigaki Island, according to the Japan Metrological Agency (JMA).
During the 1998 tsunami, 1-meter-high waves were forecast in the coastal areas of the Miyakojima and Yaeyama regions, but the actual observed tsunami was less than 10 centimeters, according to the JMA.
Japan and China offer support
Japan is ready to provide support to its “important friend” Taiwan after it was hit by the earthquake, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Wednesday (3).
“The memory of Taiwan’s warm helping hand when the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred in 2011 is still fresh. I also felt the heat of Taiwan again when the Noto earthquake occurred earlier this year,” Kishida said in a statement published on X.
“Taiwan, our important friend, we sincerely thank you for your help again and again. Now, our island neighbor faces a difficult situation; Japan is willing to help Taiwan with any necessary support,” he said.
Kishida added that he was “deeply saddened” and hoped that “all friends in Taiwan are safe.”
Beijing also offered humanitarian assistance following the earthquake in Taiwan on Wednesday morning, according to Chinese Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Zhu Fenglian.
“Relevant parties on the mainland were highly concerned and express their sincere condolences to Taiwan compatriots affected by the disaster,” Zhu said.
She added that they would “pay close attention to the disaster situation and consequences, and are willing to provide humanitarian assistance.”
China's Communist Party claims Taiwan as its own territory but has never controlled the autonomous democratic island.
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said she “immediately instructed the administration to control the situation and understand the local impacts as quickly as possible.”
Tsai also instructed the administration to “provide necessary assistance and work together with local governments to minimize the impact of the disaster,” according to a post on her Facebook page.
See also: Earthquake in Taiwan triggers tsunami warning in Japan
(With input from Wayne Chang, Junko Ogura and Manveena Suri of CNN )
Source: CNN Brasil
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