A 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck Taiwan early Wednesday morning, killing nine people and injuring more than 900 others.
Some 50 people are still unaccounted for in the aftermath of a major earthquake in Taiwan, according to Reuters. The epicenter of the semi-shallow quake was just 11 miles south of Hualien city, with tremors felt across the entire island.
A 7.2 magnitude earthquake rocked Taiwan, the strongest tremor to hit the island in at least 25 years. Local television stations showed footage of some collapsed buildings in the eastern county of Hualien, near the quake’s epicenter https://t.co/pYatrZdBdT pic.twitter.com/65Jw5hgqaw
— Reuters (@Reuters) April 3, 2024
Footage and images shared on social media show the sudden, catastrophic devastation from the shaking. In one clip, buildings can be seen shaking and collapsing like something out of a catastrophe movie.
🚨#BREAKING: Multiple buildings have collapsed after a Pair of Massive 7.5 Earthquakes Strikes Triggering Tsunami Warnings
Currently, a pair of powerful, massive earthquakes has just occurred. The first one measured a magnitude of 7.5, followed by a 7.4… pic.twitter.com/XCKd7ocjel
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) April 3, 2024
The clip goes on to show the first floor of at least one building, seemingly crushed under the weight of collapse. This is followed by another which shows the impact inside, with walls shaking and belongings flying everywhere.
In another, a man can be seen inside a rooftop swimming pool as the waters crash to the beat of Mother Nature. Being inside a swimming pool is arguably one of the stupidest things you can do during an earthquake as your risk of drowning is significantly increased. Trust me, I’m a geography graduate (the only thing my degree is good for is talking about natural disasters).
The intensity of the earthquake can be estimated from the swimming pool.
Earthquake in #Taiwan 🇹🇼#earthquake #Tsunami #TaiwanEarthquake #Japan pic.twitter.com/QliSlR7fLb
— Umer Shahzad (@UmerSha82266299) April 3, 2024
Though it’s unclear whether this is the same pool, another video showed water pouring over the side of a skyscraper while workmen watched. (RELATED: Canada Experienced Almost 2,000 Earthquakes In A Single Day. But Why?)
Rooftop swimming pool during the Taiwan earthquake pic.twitter.com/3J1QKYULwT
— StrictlyChristo 🇺🇦🌻 (@StrictlyChristo) April 3, 2024
One video shows a newscaster experiencing the earthquake in real-time. Footage from inside the studio shows light fixtures shaking back and forth as one man appears to be trying to find a phone charger.
Today’s Taiwan earthquake literally live in the newspic.twitter.com/SS0JzfsJ5g
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) April 3, 2024
🇹🇼 #Taiwan Earthquake
The moment a building collapsed in Taiwan during the powerful earthquake.pic.twitter.com/BKfJScoM0x
— Indo-Pacific News – Geo-Politics & Defense (@IndoPac_Info) April 3, 2024
A Multistory Commercial and Apartment Building on the Corner of Congquing and Zhongshan Road has Partially Collapsed in the East Taiwanese City of Hualien as a result of this morning’s 7.5 Magnitude Earthquake. pic.twitter.com/zC1nkJPWO0
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) April 3, 2024
Some have argued the earthquake could lead to significant supply chain disruptions for semiconductors and other electronics. (RELATED: Family’s Only Survivor Is Baby Who Was Born While Mother Was Trapped Under Rubble From Earthquake)
But the short and long-term impacts of the quake likely won’t be understood for several days. Clean-up operations after an event like this are relative, and dependent on the degree of damage. Thus far the quake is believed to be the largest felt in Taiwan since 1999, when a 7.7 magnitude event killed 2,400 people.