At least four people died and more than fifty were injured this Wednesday due to the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that shook the coasts of Taiwan early in the morning, as confirmed by official local sources.
The epicenter of the earthquake, which occurred at 7:58 on Wednesday (23:58 GMT on Tuesday), was located in the sea, 25 kilometers southeast of Hualien county (east), with a depth of 15.5 kilometers, and triggered an alert tsunami on the island, according to Taiwan's Central Meteorological Agency.
The earthquake has also left multiple material damages and shocking images, with completely collapsed buildings, multiple material damages, collapsed roads and scenes of panic among public transport travelers and trapped drivers.
Roads within Taroko Park are closed, according to CNA, leaving several people and vehicles trapped. The number of people affected in that area is not yet known.
The tremor caused the collapse of several sections of the Suhua Expressway, which runs along Taiwan's northern coast, and rockfall in two tunnels, killing one truck driver and injuring another.
Several users have recorded the moment of the earthquake when they were driving on one of the country's roads. In the images, the significant tremor can be seen, which manages to rock several vehicles and even structures such as bridges.
The 7.2 magnitude earthquake has been felt in homes, causing significant damage. Its effects have also been evident in the swimming pools of some buildings, which have ended up overflowing.
The number of incidents related to the disaster has risen to 933, with 624 cases classified as "other types of events", followed by 150 civil infrastructure incidents and 97 building damage incidents. At this time, rescue teams are working hard to reopen the road and rescue possible victims.
In parallel, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), which detected the earthquake and issued alerts about the arrival of a possible tsunami of up to three meters in the Okinawa archipelago (southwestern Japan), has warned of the risk of earthquakes occurring. additional incidents in the area over the next few days and of similar magnitude to what took place this Wednesday.
