According to the fire department of Taiwan, one fatality has been reported, with over 50 sustaining injuries following the strongest earthquake to hit Taiwan in 25 years.
Tsunami waves reaching up to three meters were anticipated for remote Japanese islands nearby, including Miyakojima island, according to the Japanese Meteorological Agency.
Urgent messages urging evacuation were broadcasted on Japanese national broadcaster NHK. Live television coverage from ports in the Okinawa region showed ships departing, likely in a bid to safeguard against potential damage.
Train service was halted in Taiwan, alongside the suspension of subway operations in Taipei due to partial separation of a newly constructed above-ground line. Damage to walls and ceilings was evident in the national legislature, a converted school constructed prior to World War II.
Traffic along the east coast came to a virtual standstill, with landslides and falling debris impacting tunnels and highways in the mountainous terrain. While damage to vehicles occurred, it remains uncertain if there were any casualties.
Taiwan is frequently affected by earthquakes due to its proximity to the convergence of two tectonic plates. The island notably experienced a devastating 7.6-magnitude earthquake in September 1999, resulting in approximately 2,400 fatalities, marking it as the deadliest natural disaster in Taiwan’s history.
In contrast, Japan encounters about 1,500 seismic events annually, most of which are minor in intensity. However, the impact of these earthquakes varies depending on factors such as the depth of the epicenter and its location.
Despite their frequency, larger earthquakes typically cause minimal damage in Japan and Taiwan, thanks to stringent building regulations and specialized construction methods. Japan, in particular, has developed advanced protocols and technology for alerting and evacuating residents when necessary.
The most catastrophic earthquake in Japan’s history occurred in March 2011, registering a massive 9.0 magnitude off the northeast coast, leading to a devastating tsunami that claimed around 18,500 lives. This catastrophe also resulted in the meltdown of three reactors at the Fukushima nuclear plant, marking Japan’s worst post-war disaster and the most severe nuclear incident since Chernobyl. The estimated cost of the disaster, excluding the expenses associated with the decommissioning of the Fukushima facility, amounted to 16.9 trillion yen ($112 billion), with the decommissioning process expected to extend over decades.
(With agency inputs)