UPDATE: 5:10pm
The whole of Taiwan was jolted by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck just off the coast of Hualien County at 7:58am on Wednesday, the largest quake to hit the nation in 25 years.
As of 4:30pm, the death toll had reached nine. A total of 821 people were injured, and 127 were still trapped or stranded.
Photo courtesy of the Central Weather Administration
According to the Central Weather Administration (CWA), the epicenter was 25km south-southeast of Hualien County Hall at a depth of 15.5km.
The highest intensity of 6 was felt in Hualien, while Yilan and Miaoli counties registered over 5.
Intensities of just under 5 were felt in Taipei, New Taipei City, Taichung and Taoyuan, as well as Nantou, Hsinchu and Changhua counties.
Photo courtesy of a reader
Most of the rest of the country experienced intensities of 4, even as far south as Pingtung County.
Four people reportedly died after being struck by falling rocks in Taroko National Park, three of the whom were hiking the Dekalun Trail (得卡倫步道).
One other hiker along the Xiaozhuilu Trail (小錐麓步道) was missing.
Photo: Hua Meng-ching, Taipei Times
The fourth was accompanying her husband doing roadwork along Provisional Highway No. 8 when rocks fell on her.
Nearby, a truck driver was reportedly killed by a fallen boulder along the Suhua Highway, while another motorist was also hit by falling debris in the Daqingshui Tunnel (大清水隧道).
The seventh casualty was a person working in the Taiwan Cement (台泥) Heren (和仁) mining area who was hit by falling rocks.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
The Hualien County Government announced that school and classes would be suspended on Wednesday following the quake.
Several buildings in Hualien City were tilting at severe angles after the quake, one of which is a large building at the intersection of Zhongshan and Chongqing roads.
Emergency responders had rescued everyone from the building by the late afternoon, but the last person they removed was not showing vital signs.
As of 3:30pm, the Central Emergency Operation Center had reported 28 collapsed buildings: 17 in Hualien, one in Yilan County, two in Keelung and eight in New Taipei City.
AFTERSHOCKS
The CWA warned of the possibility of aftershocks measuring magnitude 6.5 to 7 over the next three to four days.
There were 123 aftershocks recorded as of 4:30pm, nine of which measured between magnitudes 5 and 6, while two exceeded magnitude 6 at 8:11am and 10:14am, CWA data showed.
This morning’s earthquake was felt across Taiwan, as it was both shallow and close to land, CWA Seismological Center Director Wu Chien-fu (吳健富) said.
Initial observations suggest that it was the main quake, although strong aftershocks are possible, Wu said.
This is the strongest earthquake to hit Taiwan since the magnitude 7.3 quake on Sept. 21, 1999, he said, adding that the intensity readings might be adjusted, but it initially appears to be a similar magnitude.
TRANSPORTATION
MRT services in Taipei were suspended for 40 to 60 minutes for routine safety checks, although there were no initial reports of irregularities.
Services on all lines had resumed by 10am.
In New Taipei City, the Department of Rapid Transit Systems said that the Circular Line (Yellow Line) would take a while to repair after the tracks between Zhongyuan and Banxin stations shifted in the quake.
Trains on the line would not restart before the end of the day, so extra bus services would be added, the department said.
The Taichung MRT and high-speed rail also suspended services temporarily along the entire line.
On the Taiwan Railway, the stretch from Yilan County’s Jiaosi Township (礁溪) to Fonglin Township (鳳林) in Hualien County is closed due to damage.
The eastern branch of the Highway Bureau said that parts of the Suhua Highway from Yilan’s Suao Township (蘇澳) to Hualien’s Chongde (崇德) area were closed, as well as the Central Cross-Island Highway from Dayuling Pass (大禹嶺) to Taroko.
A tsunami warning has been issued in Japan’s Okinawa and several provinces in the Philippines.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old