As of: April 5, 2024, 5:26 a.m
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Taiwan was hit by a strong earthquake on Wednesday. There are at least nine dead and more than 900 injured - two Germans were included.
A severe earthquake struck Taiwan on Wednesday morning.
At least nine people have died and more than 900 have been injured.
Two Germans were trapped in a tunnel - they are now safe.
This news ticker is continually updated.
Update from April 4th, 9:33 a.m.:
A video published on Thursday (April 4th) shows the helicopter rescue operation of the six miners who were trapped in a tunnel after the severe earthquake in Taiwan. Numerous other workers are still in tunnels at a quarry in Hualien district near the epicenter.
Numerous aftershocks were also felt in the region on Thursday - dozens of residents spent the night outdoors. After a visit to an emergency center, Taiwan Prime Minister Chen Chien-jen said he hoped "we can use today to find all the stranded and missing people." At least nine people died in the 7.4 magnitude earthquake, and 1,000 others suffered injuries, some of them serious. The quake was "felt throughout Taiwan and on the islands off the coast," said Wu Chien-fu, head of the Taiwan Meteorological Administration's Seismological Center. Videos on X (formerly Twitter) show the extent of the shaking - huge clouds of dust can be seen sweeping over the city.
Strong earthquake hits Taiwan: death toll rises
Update from April 3rd, 7:13 p.m.:
At least nine people died in the worst earthquake in Taiwan in over 25 years. There are now reports of more than 1,000 injuries. The current problem is that there are numerous buildings that are dangerously tilted. According to information, a multi-story residential building could tip over at any time. The number of deaths is currently set at nine. However, it is assumed that the number of victims will continue to rise.
After the earthquake, emergency services brought the miners out of the tunnels using helicopters. © Taiwan's Central Emergency Operation Center/afp
Update from April 3rd, 4:31 p.m.:
The worst earthquake in 25 years has shaken Taiwan. According to authorities, the number of injured has now risen to 963. 143 people are still considered trapped, including 71 miners who are said to be stuck in two quarries. There is still no information about the condition of the work and where exactly they are stuck.
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As the fire department announced, the number of deaths remained at nine. Four women died in Taroko National Park in Hualien city. The earthquake was particularly strong there. “I have never felt an earthquake like this since I moved from the capital Taipei to the earthquake-prone coastal city three years ago,” a Hualien resident told the German Press Agency. “We have never seen such a terrible incident before,” said the 54-year-old.
Nine dead in earthquake in Taiwan: number of injured increased
Update from April 3rd, 2:15 p.m.:
The number of injured has continued to rise in the severe earthquake off the coast of Taiwan with nine deaths so far. According to the national fire service authority on Wednesday evening (local time), 946 people were considered injured. 137 people were still trapped in buildings or tunnels.
Members of a search and rescue team are deployed after an earthquake in eastern Taiwan. © China News Service/imago
After two Germans were freed from a tunnel, the Foreign Office said it was in contact with another group of Germans in the earthquake-hit island republic. A spokesman for the Foreign Office said on Wednesday in Berlin that it was a group of 19 people who were originally considered missing. 18 of them were German and, given the circumstances, they were doing well, it was said.
Trapped Germans freed from tunnel in Taiwan
Update from April 3rd, 12:13 p.m.:
The two Germans who were trapped in a tunnel after the severe earthquake in Taiwan have now been freed. This is reported by the AFP news agency, citing the fire department on site.
The two Germans were trapped along with other people in a tunnel in Taroko National Park north of the city of Hualien after the earthquake. Before their evacuation, the local fire department said that more than 70 people were trapped in several tunnels in the region as a result of the earthquake.
Death toll rises – more than 820 people injured
Update from April 3rd, 12 p.m.:
The number of deaths after the violent earthquake in Taiwan has risen to nine. The national fire department announced this early on Wednesday evening (local time). No further information was initially available on the condition of the two German citizens, who, according to official information, were trapped in a tunnel north of the city of Hualien, which was badly hit by the earthquake.
Update from April 3rd, 11:28 a.m.:
Rescue work after the severe earthquake in Taiwan continues at full speed. According to the authorities, the number of injured and trapped people has continued to rise. More than 820 people were considered injured, and 127 were trapped in tunnels or buildings, the national fire department announced.
According to the information, those trapped were all in the area around the city of Hualien, where the morning earthquake caused severe damage. A total of more than 100 aftershocks were recorded there within eight hours of the quake. The authorities initially did not provide any further information about the two Germans trapped in the traffic tunnel of a national park.
Severe earthquake in Taiwan: Most households have electricity again
Update from April 3rd, 10:55 a.m.:
The worst earthquake in Taiwan in 25 years caused the lights to go out in many houses. As the official Taiwanese news agency CNA reported, according to the state-owned Taiwan Power Company, almost 367,800 households had electricity again on Wednesday afternoon (local time), almost 99 percent.
Of the 3,500 units that did not yet have electricity, around 2,400 were in the area around the city of Hualien. The earthquake caused severe damage there and some houses collapsed. Its epicenter was just a few kilometers from the city on the east coast.
Two Germans trapped in tunnel after severe earthquake in Taiwan
Update from April 3rd, 9:50 a.m.:
According to official information, two German citizens are trapped in a tunnel after the violent earthquake in Taiwan. The two are therefore in the Chongde Tunnel, which is located in Taroko National Park. The authorities initially did not provide any information about the condition of the two. The national park is located north of the city of Hualien, where the quake caused severe damage on Wednesday morning. In addition to the Germans, 75 other people were considered trapped in the area around Hualien - many of them also in tunnels.
After the severe earthquake in Taiwan, many roads are blocked. Two Germans are trapped in a tunnel. © Handout / Taichung City Governments' Fier Bureau / AFP
Severe earthquake in Taiwan: number of injured rises to over 700
Update from April 3rd, 9:35 a.m.:
After the violent earthquake off the east coast of Taiwan, the number of deaths rose to seven and the number of injured to over 700. As the national fire department announced on Wednesday, 736 people are currently considered injured. Accordingly, 77 people were also trapped in buildings in the worst-hit city of Hualien on Taiwan's east coast. The number of various accidents, such as damage to buildings or infrastructure, also rose to over 1,100.
On Wednesday morning (local time), a very strong earthquake a few kilometers off the east coast shook the entire island with more than 23 million inhabitants. The Taiwan Meteorological Agency recorded a magnitude of 7.2 at a depth of a few kilometers, while the US Earthquake Observatory recorded 7.4. Several aftershocks followed.
Strong earthquake shakes Taiwan: houses collapse
First report:
Taipei – The worst earthquake in 25 years struck Taiwan on Wednesday (April 3). The earthquake was felt throughout Taiwan. At least four people died. As the national fire department also announced, at least 57 people were injured.
The director of the seismological center in Taipei, Wu Chien-fu, spoke of the worst earthquake in the country in 25 years. In 1999, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake occurred and claimed the lives of around 2,400 people - the most fatal quake in the country's history.
Information about the magnitude of the earthquake in Taiwan varies: Japan says it was 7.7
According to the US Earthquake Observatory USGS, the current quake had a magnitude of 7.4. The epicenter was 18 kilometers south of the city of Hualien. Taiwan's meteorological agency recorded a magnitude of 7.2 on the southeastern coast of the island, near Hualien, at a depth of 15.5 kilometers, while the Japan Meteorological Agency reported a magnitude of 7.7. “I wanted to run out, but I wasn’t dressed,” said hotel guest Kelvin Hwang. “That was so powerful.”
According to the local fire department, two buildings collapsed in Hualien. In addition, the national fire department said in a press conference that 26 buildings were leaning or collapsed. Naha Airport in the region has since been taken out of service. However, flight operations were subsequently able to resume.
Tsunami warnings due to earthquake in Taiwan: “high tsunami waves”
The strong quake also led to restrictions in other countries. There were tsunami warnings in addition to Taiwan, also in parts of southern Japan and in the Philippines, where warnings were given of “high tsunami waves” and calls were made to evacuate coastal areas. However, the warning was lifted a few hours later.
Japan itself was the victim of a devastating earthquake this year. A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck the country on New Year's Day and claimed numerous lives.
Three injured by earthquake in Taiwan's capital: The quake was also felt in Taipei
In the Taiwanese capital Taipei, subway traffic had to be stopped for about an hour. The earthquake, as well as the aftershocks, were clearly felt in the city. In New Taipei, which encompasses Taipei City, three people were injured when a warehouse collapsed. Furnishings and dishes were broken in the capital and residents were warned to look for possible gas leaks.
Earthquakes are not uncommon in Taiwan as tectonic plates collide in the region. Nevertheless, this is a particularly strong earthquake, marking the strongest since the devastating accident in 1999 that killed 2,400 people. Neighboring China offered the country disaster relief. However, it is still unclear whether the island state will accept the help. There are always tensions between the two countries because, despite Taiwan's independence, China counts the country as its own territory.
(dpa/AFP/kal)