Taiwan's Central News Agency, via Agence France-Presse. Getty Images
A powerful earthquake of at least magnitude 7.4 struck off the coast of Taiwan on Wednesday morning, the strongest to jolt the island in a quarter century, causing at least four deaths and injuring several people.
The damage appeared to be centred in Hualien County on the east coast, where at least two buildings appeared to have partly crumbled and were perilously teetering, prompting rescue efforts. The quake caused tremors throughout Taiwan and set off at least nine landslides, collapsing hillsides onto Suhua Highway in Hualien, according to local media reports. Rail services were halted nationwide.
The earthquake struck during commuting hours, shortly before 8 a.m. The local fire authorities said reports of injuries were coming in and that the number of casualties was expected to rise.
The epicentre was about 10 miles below the earth’s surface, in the waters off Hualien, according to Taiwan and the U.S. Geological Survey. Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration also recorded an aftershock of magnitude 6.5.
In the capital, Taipei, buildings shook for over a minute from the initial quake. Hualien is an especially earthquake-prone area in Taiwan. Seventeen people died in a quake there in 2018.
7.3級地震引發海嘯警報，造成至少4人死亡、97人受傷
週三上午，台灣沿海發生了至少 7.4 級的強烈地震，這是島上二十五年來最強烈的地震，造成至少一人死亡、多人受傷。
受損情況似乎集中在東海岸的花蓮縣，那裡至少有兩座建築物似乎部分倒塌，搖搖欲墜，引發了救援工作。 根據當地媒體報道，這次地震引起了全台灣的震動，並引發了至少九處山體滑坡，導致花蓮蘇花高速公路的山坡崩塌。 全國鐵路服務暫停。
地震發生在上午 8 點左右的通勤時間。當地消防部門表示，正在收到受傷報告，預計傷亡人數還會上升。
據台灣和美國地質調查局稱，震央位於花蓮附近海域，地表下約 10 英里。 台灣中央氣象局也記錄了6.5級餘震。
在首都台北，建築物在最初的地震中搖晃了一分多鐘。 花蓮是台灣地震多發地區。
2018 年，那裡的地震造成 17 人死亡。
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