Dead and injured after earthquake – trapped Germans freed
77 people trapped in tunnels – including two Germans
An earthquake in Taiwan has killed at least nine people and injured more than 700. 77 people are trapped in tunnels north of the city of Hualien – including two Germans.
Rescue work in Taiwan continues at full speed. The number of people who need help continues to rise – and more victims are being found. Two Germans have now been rescued from a tunnel.
Dhe two Germans trapped in a tunnel in Taiwan after an earthquake have been freed. The Taiwanese fire department announced this on Wednesday evening (local time). At least nine people were killed in the strongest earthquake to hit Taiwan in 25 years. As the national fire department announced on Wednesday, at least 820 people were injured. Among the dead were a truck driver whose vehicle was reportedly hit by a rockfall while driving, and three hikers. In total, as of midday (local time), the authority spoke of more than 900 accidents of various kinds.
In addition to the Germans, 127 other people were considered trapped in the area around Hualien – many of them also in tunnels. Initially there was talk of 75 people being trapped.
The quake occurred in the morning (local time) a few kilometers off the east coast of Taiwan. The weather agency recorded an earthquake magnitude of 7.2 on the southeastern coast of the island near the city of Hualien at a depth of 15.5 kilometers. The United States Earthquake Observatory (USGS) reported a magnitude of 7.4 in the area. In Japan, according to media reports, the authorities even spoke of a magnitude of 7.7.
Bridges, railways, highways, public buildings and residential buildings: important infrastructure was affected by the tremors. The quake was felt across the country. The east coast city of Hualien was hit particularly hard, where some buildings were severely damaged by the violent tremors. Photos showed how several houses collapsed and became tilted.
Consequences of the earthquake in Hualien, Taiwan
Source: dpa/-
According to eyewitnesses, the quake was also clearly felt in and around the capital Taipei. In New Taipei, which surrounds the capital, three people were injured when a warehouse collapsed. Residents of the capital reported that furnishings and dishes were broken in their houses and apartments. Public rail transport has been suspended in several major cities on the island with more than 23 million inhabitants. Express train services were also interrupted.
Taiwan, China, Japan and the Philippines warned of tsunamis for several hours before the warnings were initially relaxed and later lifted. In Japan, northeast of Taiwan, the earthquake triggered a warning of a three-meter-high tsunami for nearby islands in southwestern Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture. Residents of the affected islands were called upon to seek safety.
Authorities in the Philippines also issued a tsunami warning. The National Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said high tsunami waves were expected that could last for hours. People in several provinces of the island nation were asked to seek safety and leave the coastal regions.
China and the European Union offer help
In neighboring China, which considers Taiwan a breakaway province, the quake was a main topic on state television news. Chinese authorities are very concerned about the situation, said Chinese Taiwan Affairs Office spokeswoman Zhu Fenglian in Beijing on Wednesday. The mainland is monitoring the situation and is ready to offer disaster assistance. It remained unclear whether Taiwan would accept China’s help. There are always tensions between the two states over Beijing’s territorial claims, even though an independent and democratically elected government has been in power in Taiwan for decades.
EU Council President Charles Michel has also offered help from the European Union. “My sincere condolences go out to everyone affected by the Taiwan earthquake,” he said on the X platform on Wednesday. “And my condolences to the families of the victims.” The EU is ready to provide any help necessary.
The quake also had an impact on the economy: Taiwan’s important semiconductor manufacturer TSMC, for example, stopped production, as the authority of the industrial park in the city of Hsinchu announced. The company reportedly evacuated workers from production during the quake. Other companies also temporarily stopped work. The state-owned energy supplier reported that more than 308,000 households in Taiwan lost power due to the quake. Tens of thousands were still temporarily without power afterwards.
The last time Taiwan was hit was in September 1999 by a magnitude 7.3 quake. At that time, more than 2,400 people died. Taiwan lies in an earthquake-prone zone on the border of the Eurasian plate and the Philippine Sea plate.