Taiwan's strongest earthquake in 25 years kills 9 people, 50 missing
Nine people are killed and over 900 injured in earthquake
Just off Taiwan's sparsely populated east coast, 50 people were missing from minibuses headed to a national park called Epicentre.
Workers return to the massive TSMC semiconductor facilities.
Just off Taiwan's sparsely populated east coast, 50 people were missing from minibuses headed to a national park called Epicentre.
Workers return to the massive TSMC semiconductor facilities.
HUALIEN, Taiwan, April 3 Nine people were killed and over 900 were injured in Taiwan's largest earthquake in at least 25 years on Wednesday. Additionally, 50 workers who were travelling in minibuses to a hotel in a national park went missing.
In the mountainous, sparsely populated county of Hualien, close to the epicentre of the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck just offshore at roughly 8 a.m. (0000 GMT) and caused massive landslides, some buildings tilted at dangerous angles.
In the mountainous, sparsely populated county of Hualien, close to the epicentre of the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck just offshore at roughly 8 a.m. (0000 GMT) and caused massive landslides, some buildings tilted at dangerous angles.
Some were spending the night in tents and other forms of shelter as night fell. Numerous emergency personnel were working in parallel to try and stabilise damaged buildings and demolish those that were thought to be unsalvageable.
"Behind us, the Uranus building is in extremely bad shape. The building consists of nine stories above ground and one basement level. The ground and first levels are now subterranean. Acting Chief Deputy of the Hualien Fire Department.
"Behind us, the Uranus building is in extremely bad shape. The building consists of nine stories above ground and one basement level. The ground and first levels are now subterranean. Acting Chief Deputy of the Hualien Fire Department.
Hsu Chen-Wei, the mayor of Hualien city, announced that all occupants and businesses in structures that posed a risk had been evacuated. Four buildings were about to undergo demolition, according to the mayor.
Strong earthquake hits Taiwan
A strong earthquake that hit Taiwan on Wednesday and measured magnitude 7.4, according to the United States Geological Survey, was the strongest to hit the island in about 25 years.
More than 50 aftershocks were recorded, weather officials said.
"I'm afraid of aftershocks, and I don't know how bad the shaking will be," a 52-year-old Hualien resident, who gave her family name as Yu, said as she made her way to a shelter.
News anchors steadied themselves against enormous screens while delivering their morning bulletins, capturing the power of the earthquake in real time as their sets wobbled and lighting rigs shook overhead.
People were en route to work and school when the earthquake struck at a depth of 15.5 km (9.6 miles), triggering a tsunami warning that was later lifted for the Philippines and southern Japan.
People were en route to work and school when the earthquake struck at a depth of 15.5 km (9.6 miles), triggering a tsunami warning that was later lifted for the Philippines and southern Japan.
