Strongest earthquake in 25 years hits Taiwan, aftershocks impact region

A powerful earthquake jolted Hualien County in China's Taiwan region on Wednesday, resulting in the deaths of at least nine people and leaving hundreds injured, according to local authorities.

It was described as "the strongest quake the region has seen since 1999" by an official from the local earthquake center during a press conference.

The China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC) reported that the magnitude-7.3 earthquake struck at 7:58 a.m. off the coast of Hualien County, the city closest to the epicenter. The earthquake originated at a depth of 12 kilometers, the center added.

The tremor was felt across the island of Taiwan and caused rockslides in mountainous areas, resulting in the deaths of nine people as of 4:30 p.m., according Taiwan's health and welfare agency. Additionally, over 80,000 households are still experiencing power outages, and some buildings have either collapsed or are observed to be tilting.

Taiwan on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire'

Taiwan lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, the line of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean where most of the world's earthquakes occur. The Pacific Ring of Fire is formed as a result of the interaction between the Pacific Plate and other tectonic plates surrounding it, such as the Eurasian Plate, the American Plates and others. Active movements between the plates including the processes of subduction, collision and lateral sliding had led to rich geological activity.

Taiwan is situated at the boundary where the Eurasian Plate and the Philippine Sea Plate converge. These two tectonic plates are constantly interacting with each other, often involving compression and collision. Over time, significant energy accumulates due to these interactions. When the accumulated stress exceeds the strength of the earth's crust, it is released in the form of an earthquake.

Hualien was last struck by a deadly quake in 2018, which collapsed a historic hotel and other buildings. Taiwan's worst quake in recent years struck on Sept. 21, 1999, with a magnitude of 7.7, causing 2,400 deaths, injuring around 100,000 and destroying thousands of buildings.

An earthquake strongly felt

The earthquake was also felt in Shanghai and multiple provinces along China's southeastern coast, including Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Fujian and Guangdong.

Tsunami alert has been lifted at around 11 a.m. (Beijing Time) by China's Ministry of Natural Resources.

Earthquake-triggered tsunami alerts have been declared for the island, alongside Chinese mainland and other areas within the vicinity. The Associated Press reported that a tsunami wave of 30 centimeters was detected on the coast of Yonaguni island about 15 minutes after the quake struck, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. Smaller waves were also measured in Ishigaki and Miyako islands. Warnings have been lifted by noon.