Dozens are understood to be trapped in highway tunnels after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck Taiwan’s east coast, which has seen nine people confirmed dead and more than 900 injured.
Tremors set off at least nine landslides and debris collapsed hillsides onto Suhua Highway in Hualien, which runs down the east coast.
According to Taiwan’s National Fire Agency (NFA), people are trapped in two road tunnels along the Suhua Highway- one of the most dangerous roads in Taiwan, straddling between the mountainside and ocean.
Rescue teams are working to get to those trapped, with CNN reporting that 75 people who were stranded in various tunnels had been rescued in the morning.
The earthquake – the strongest in 25 years in Taiwan – set off tsunami warnings on the island and across neighbouring countries, seismology officials said.
More than 77 people remain trapped under the rubble after the quake caused widespread damage and power outages across the country.
The epicentre of the earthquake, which struck at 7.58am local time, was located about 18km south of Taiwan’s Hualien city, said the US Geological Survey. The USGS measured the earthquake at magnitude 7.4, though Taiwan’s own monitoring agency put it at 7.2.
●Taiwan quake felt by surrounding countries
Wednesday’s earthquake that struck Taiwan’s east coast was measured at a 7.4-magnitude, which was felt by neighbouring nations.
In Japan, the weather agency put the quake’s magnitude at 7.7, saying several small tsunami waves reached parts of the southern prefecture of Okinawa. The tsunami warnings were later downgraded to an advisory.
In the Philippines, seismology officials warned coastal residents in several provinces to move to higher ground.
Chinese state media also said the quake was felt in the southeastern province of Fujian, while a Reuters witness said it was also felt in the commercial hub of Shanghai.
source : Independent
