What We Know about Taiwan’s Magnitude 7.4 Earthquake
An earthquake scientist discusses what we know about Taiwan’s magnitude 7. quake so far and what may happen next
The Uranus Building at Xuanyuan Road is tilted severely as at least four people were killed and hundreds of others injured after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck off Taiwan’s eastern coast on the Richter scale, in Hualien, Taiwan on April 3, 2024.
Hualien County Fire Department/Anadolu via Getty Images
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Earlier today, a major earthquake of magnitude 7.4 struck the central east coast of Taiwan, roughly 20 kilometres south of the city of Hualien.
Locals near the epicentre described severe to violent ground shaking during the quake – strong enough to make standing and driving a vehicle difficult. It was reportedly felt across the country, as well as in neighbouring China.
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So, what do we know so far about the quake and what the impacts may be?
Death and damage
News outlets have reported at least four people have died and dozens were injured as a result of the quake.
While much of Taiwan’s population lives on the west coast of the country, Hualien City is one of the largest population centres on the east coast. Its population is roughly 100,000.
Building damage has been reported in the region near the epicentre of the earthquake, including in Hualien City.
Landslides also occurred along the mountainous central east coast.
A tsunami warning was issued for Taiwan and nearby countries including Japan and the Philippines. At the time of writing, a 30 cm tsunami was
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