 
This earthquake in Taiwan killed 9 people, injured over 900 and left 50 workers missing in Hualien.
Some structures slanted dangerously in Hualien. The county is thinly inhabited and hilly. The 7.2 magnitude quake struck offshore. It happened around 8 a.m. (0000 GMT) and caused landslides.
As nightfall struck, several individuals spent the night in tents and other forms of shelter. Meanwhile, teams of rescue personnel attempted to shore up damaged buildings and demolish those judged unsalvageable.
“The Uranus building behind us has suffered severe damage. It consists of one basement level and nine above stories. Lee Lung-Sheng, Deputy Acting Chief of the Hualien Fire Department, stated that the first and second levels are currently underground.
Hsu Chen-Wei, the Mayor of Hualien City, confirmed that they had evacuated all individuals and businesses located in risky structures. The mayor announced that demolition work had begun on four structures.
According to the United States Geological Survey, the biggest earthquake to strike the country in almost 25 years occurred on Wednesday with a magnitude of 7.4.
Weather officials reported more than 50 aftershocks.
“I’m afraid of aftershocks, and I don’t know how bad the shaking will be,” a 52-year-old Hualien resident named Yu said as she walked to a shelter.
TV presenters delivered their breakfast announcements while filming the magnitude of the earthquake live. They braced themselves against big screens as their sets trembled, and watched as lighting equipment rocked back and forth overhead.
As people were leaving for work and school, the earthquake struck at a depth of 15.5 km (9.6 miles), which triggered a tsunami warning for southern Japan and the Philippines. However, authorities subsequently removed the warning.
Onlookers witnessed rescuers using ladders to assist trapped individuals to climb out of windows. Strong vibrations in Taipei led the underground system to temporarily close, however most lines resumed service.
Firefighters said they had previously freed around 70 people stuck in tunnels near Hualien, including two Germans.
They reported that they had lost communication with 50 personnel. The personnel were travelling in four minibuses en route to a guesthouse. Rescuers were looking for them in Taroko Gorge National Park. It’s unclear if the 80 people are inside the mine, but authorities have caught them in the mining area. An avalanche has caused massive stones to spread across a mountain route
The Fire Bureau of Taichung City Government rescued a man in his 50s from a vehicle after he became unconscious.
Earthquake in Hualien
A woman who runs bed-and-breakfast accommodation in Hualien city said she scrambled to calm her guests.
The government put the number of injured at 946.
“At present, the most important thing, the top priority, is to rescue people,” said President-elect Lai Ching-te, speaking outside one of the collapsed buildings in Hualien.
Lai announced that they expected the rail link to the area to re-open on Thursday.
The train link to the area is due to reopen on Thursday, according to Lai, who will enter office next month.
The White House said the U.S. stood ready to provide any assistance necessary.
Impact of earthquake beyond Hualien
In Japan, the weather agency put the quake’s magnitude at 7.7, saying several small tsunami waves reached parts of the southern prefecture of Okinawa while downgrading its tsunami warning to an advisory.
In the Philippines, seismology officials warned coastal residents in several provinces to move to higher ground.
Chinese official media reported feeling the quake in the southern province of Fujian, while a Reuters witness confirmed that it was also felt in Shanghai, the commercial hub.
The Air Force of Taiwan reported that its major base in the city, which frequently scrambles jets to repel incursions by China’s air force, experienced slight damage to six of its F-16 fighter jets. However, the Air Force is anticipating a prompt return of these aircraft to service.
In Japan, the weather agency put the quake’s magnitude at 7.7, saying several small tsunami waves reached parts of the southern prefecture of Okinawa while downgrading its tsunami warning to an advisory.
In the Philippines, seismology officials warned coastal residents in several provinces to move to higher ground.
Chinese official media reported feeling the quake in the southern province of Fujian, while a Reuters witness confirmed that it was also felt in Shanghai, the commercial hub.
CHIP SUPPLIES
Taipower, the electrical operator, has reported that they have restored the majority of power following the earthquake. The island’s two nuclear power plants are not damaged.
The high-speed rail operator in Taiwan reported that its trains did not suffer any damage or cause any injuries. However, the company will conduct checks, which will delay its services.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (2330.TW), a key chip supplier to Apple (AAPL.O) and Nvidia (NVDA.O), said it had evacuated several fabrication sites and that safety systems were working regularly. The earthquake is not expected to impair Nvidia’s supply, the company said.
It later said that its employees were safe and had returned to their workplaces immediately after the earthquake. They anticipated disrupted plants to resume output during the night.MC’s Taipei-listed shares fell 1.3%, although the benchmark index (.TWII) fell just 0.6% despite the quake.
According to the official central news agency, the quake was the worst since a 7.6 magnitude event in 1999, which killed over 2,400 people and damaged or destroyed 50,000 structures.
Taiwanese meteorological officials rated Wednesday’s quake near Hualien as “Upper 6,” or the second-highest degree of severity on a scale of 1 to 7.
According to experts, walls can collapse during such earthquakes if they are not constructed with reinforced concrete blocks. Additionally, individuals may be unable to stand upright and may need to crawl to move around.
