All About the Taiwan Earthquake in 60 Sec


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What do you think of when you hear of ‘Taiwan’?

Some say bubble tea, some say dramas, and some say the scenery.

Yes, I agree, those are the charming points of the island we all love.

But just like how there are two sides to a coin, there’s also a not-so-perfect side to her.

Do you remember the hit movie “Apple of My Eye”?

Image: Pinterest

It certainly caused the ‘Shen Chia-yi’ craze worldwide, but the main driving plot of the story isn’t about this pretty girl.

It’s the deadly earthquake that happened on 21st September 1999.

FYI, it’s based on a true story.

That earthquake killed about 2,400 people, and remains the deadliest earthquake to hit Taiwan to date.

And the thing is, Taiwan is an earthquake prone country, lying near the junction of two tectonic plates.

This means that the 1999 earthquake can be pushed down from its No.1 spot anytime.

Just yesterday (6 Feb) night, a 6.4-magnitude hit the eastern city of Hualien.

Image: IG @chianing_baby

It happened late at night at 11.50pm, killing at least two and injuring more than two hundred, according to The Guardian.

The Central News Agency reported that the ground floor of the Marshal hotel had caved in.

Image: rfa.org

At least one other hotel, a building and a hospital have also toppled during the quake.

Image: BBC

The Executive Yuan has set up an emergency response centre. Rescue teams have started their operations since 12.30am.


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Officers from the Hualien fire department said that about 149 people have been rescued from trapped buildings.

Image: CNA

There are no specific numbers to the number of people who are still trapped.

A number of aftershocks hit the area, but there was no word of any tsunami warning.

Rocks have fallen onto the Suhua Expressway, which has been sealed for safety purposes.

There are also cracks visible on the Hualien Bridge and the Qixingtan Bridge. Both bridges are inaccessible to the public now.


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The Hualien government has announced that both school and work are suspended for the day, according to Channel 8 News.

Hualien is one of Taiwan’s most popular tourist hubs, as it boasts a picturesque east coast rail line.

Image: Yina Goes

The earthquake yesterday is the latest one to have hit the island this week.

There have been about 100 smaller tremors that were reported in the last three days.

Coincidentally, exactly a year ago, there was also an earthquake of the same magnitude that hit Tainan.

Death toll came up to more than 100, as a 16-storey residential building collapsed entirely.


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Image: gotv.ctitv.com.tw

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Featured image: rfa.org& BBC