TAIPEI:

A 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck just off Taiwan’s eastern county of Hualien on Saturday, the island’s weather administration said, with no immediate reports of damage.

The quake shook buildings in the capital, Taipei. The quake had a depth of 24.9 km (15.5 miles), the weather administration said.

Taiwan has been hit by more than 1,000 aftershocks since a 7.2 magnitude quake struck Hualien earlier this month, killing 17 people.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

In this image from a video, roads in Hualien, Taiwan are cordoned off after a cluster of earthquakes struck the island early Tuesday, April 23, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

A cluster of earthquakes struck the island republic of Taiwan early Tuesday, the strongest having a magnitude of 6.1, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

There were no reports of casualties in the quakes, although there were further damages to two multi-story buildings that had been evacuated following a magnitude 7.4 quake that hit the island earlier this month, killing 13 people and injuring over 1,000. That earthquake was centered along the coast of the rural and mountainous Hualien County.

ALSO READ | A lesson from Taiwan in quake resilience

It was the strongest earthquake in the past 25 years in Taiwan and was followed by hundreds of aftershocks

According to the USGS, Tuesday’s quake of 6.1 magnitude had its epicenter 28 kilometers (17.5 miles) south of the city of Hualien, at a dept of 10.7 kilometers. The half-dozen other quakes ranged from magnitude 4.5 to magnitude 6, all near Hualien. Taiwan’s own earthquake monitoring center put the magnitudes of the initial quake at 6.3. Such small discrepancies are common between monitoring stations.

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Taipei:

-More than 80 earthquakes, the strongest of 6.3 magnitude, struck Taiwan’s east coast starting Monday night and into the early hours of Tuesday and some caused shaking of buildings in the capital Taipei, the island’s weather administration said.

The quakes were centred on the largely rural eastern county of Hualien, where on April 3 at least 14 people died after a 7.2 magnitude temblor. Taiwan has been jolted by hundreds of aftershocks since then.

The fire department in Hualien said early on Tuesday that a hotel which had already been damaged on April 3 and was no longer in operation was now slightly leaning on its side.

However, there were no reports of any casualties.

Taiwan lies near the junction of two tectonic plates and is prone to earthquakes.

More than 100 people were killed in a quake in southern Taiwan in 2016, while a 7.3 magnitude quake killed more than 2,000 people in 1999.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Hualien:

Five earthquakes struck Shoufeng Township, Hualien County, in eastern Taiwan on Monday within just 9 minutes, as reported by Central News Agency Focus Taiwan.

The seismic activity occurred between 5:08 pm and 5:17 pm (local time).

“Five #earthquakes struck Shoufeng Township, Hualien County, eastern Taiwan, in 9 minutes between 5:08 p.m. and 5:17 p.m. (UTC+8),” CNA Focus Taiwan posted on X.

Two weeks ago, a powerful earthquake measuring 7.4 on the Richter Scale rocked Taiwan’s eastern shores, leaving four people dead and over 700 others injured.

“Notable quake, preliminary info: M 6.5 – 11 km NE of Hualien City, Taiwan,” the US Geological Survey (USGS) said in a post on X.

The quake that struck Hualien City on April 3 killed four people and injured more than 700 others, the National Fire Agency said while adding that of those injured, 132 are in Hualien County, near the epicentre of the quake.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Taipei:

Taiwan’s capital was shaken by a “strong” earthquake early Monday evening, AFP staff reported, with the Central Weather Administration saying it was a magnitude-5.5 tremor originating in eastern Hualien.

The region was the epicentre of a magnitude-7.4 quake that hit on April 3, causing landslides around the mountainous region that blocked off roads, while buildings in the main Hualien city were badly damaged.

At least 17 were killed in the quake, with the latest body discovered on April 13 in a quarry.

Monday’s quake hit Taiwan at around 5:08 pm local time (0908 GMT) and could be felt in the capital Taipei.

US Geological Survey put it at 5.3 magnitude, with a depth of 8.9 kilometres.

“It felt like one of the strongest quakes or aftershocks since the big one earlier this month,” an AFP staffer said.

Hualien’s fire department said in a short post on its official social media channel that they had dispatched teams to inspect of any disaster from the quake.

“We will continue to monitor the situation and report in a timely manner.”

Taiwan sees frequent quakes as it is located at the junction of two tectonic plates.

The April 3 quake was followed by hundreds of aftershocks, which caused rockfalls around Hualien.

It was the most serious in Taiwan since 1999 when a magnitude of 7.6 hit the island.

The death count then was far higher — with 2,400 people killed in the deadliest natural disaster in the island’s history.

Stricter building regulations — including enhanced seismic requirements in its building codes — and widespread public disaster awareness appeared to have staved off a more serious catastrophe in April’s major quake.

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HUALIEN, TAIWAN – APRIL 06: A helicopter descends onto a car park carrying people rescued from the Taroko Gorge after they were trapped in the mountainous areas for nearly 3 days on April 06, 2024 in Hualien, Taiwan. There are still hundreds of victims stuck in the mountains after a 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit eastern Taiwan on Wednesday, April 3rd, triggering a tsunami warning for the coastline in Taiwan, The Philippines and Japan. (Photo by Annabelle Chih/Getty Images)
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

Rescuers were planning to bring in heavy equipment on April 6 to try to recover two bodies buried under boulders on a hiking trail, three days after Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in 25 years.

Four more people remain missing on the same Shakadang Trail in Taroko National Park, famed for its rugged mountainous terrain. Search and recovery work was set to resume, after being called off Friday afternoon because of aftershocks.

Also read | Rescuers search for people out of contact in Taiwan after strong earthquake

At least 12 people were killed by the magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck Wednesday morning off Taiwan’s east coast, and 10 others were still missing.

More than 600 people, including about 450 at a hotel in the Taroko park, remained stranded in various locations cut off by rockslides and other damage.

Survivors have told harrowing tales of rocks tumbling onto roadways, trapping them in tunnels until rescuers arrived to free them. In the city of Hualien, a building left tilting over a street at a precarious angle was being carefully torn down.

The relatively low number of deaths from such a powerful quake has been attributed to strict construction standards and widespread public education campaigns on the earthquake-prone island.

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Taiwan’s tallest skyscraper, Taipei 101, survived a recent 7.4-magnitude earthquake with minimal damage. This is credited in part to its innovative design, which includes a giant pendulum, according to CNN. The large yellow pendulum at the building’s centre helped absorb the shock.

Nicknamed “Damper Baby,” the pendulum is a tuned mass damper, a 660-metric-tonne steel sphere suspended over 1,000 feet above the ground at the building’s centre. During an earthquake or strong winds, the sphere sways to counteract the building’s movement, reducing its sway by up to 40%, as per the news outlet.

The pendulum hangs between the 87th and 92nd floors and is constructed from 41 steel layers. It’s nearly 18 feet in diameter and swings within a limit of 59 inches to prevent excessive movement.

Taipei 101 was once the world’s tallest building and remains a landmark skyscraper in Taiwan. The building’s design demonstrates the use of innovative engineering to safeguard structures in earthquake-prone regions.

What is the wind-damping ball?

The technical name of the wind damping ball is Tuned Mass Damper (TMD). A TMD is a passive system tailored to the needs of the building. Its main purpose is to reduce swaying by strong winds and make working in such a tall tower comfortable. Traditional concealed damping systems are out of sight, but the Taipei 101 TMD is both functional and an aesthetic attraction. Visitors to the observation deck can get a glimpse of the overall operation of the damping system.

How does the Tuned Mass Damper work?

According to the Taipei 101 website, the spherical damper installed in Taipei 101 moves back and forth during earthquakes or typhoons, common occurrences on the island. This movement absorbs the force of any intense swinging, as stated on the Taipei 101 website. Engineers of the damper claim it can reduce the building’s movement by up to 40 percent, thereby lessening the discomfort felt by those inside.

Closed-circuit TV footage capturing the Taipei skyline during the earthquake illustrates the minimal movement of the pagoda-shaped skyscraper. Meanwhile, a security camera positioned on another building shows significant shaking.

Taipei:

Taiwan on Thursday condemned China as “shameless” after Beijing’s deputy ambassador to the United Nations thanked the world for its concern about a strong earthquake on the island.

China claims democratically-governed Taiwan as its own territory and also claims the right to speak for it on the international stage, to the fury of Taipei given Beijing’s communist government has never ruled the island and has no say in how it chooses its leaders.

On Wednesday, after the 7.2 earthquake hit eastern Taiwan, killing 10 people, China’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the U.N., Geng Shuang, mentioned at a meeting about children’s rights that another speaker had brought up the quake in “China’s Taiwan”.

China is concerned about the damage and has expressed condolences to Taiwan and offered aid, he said, according to a transcript of his remarks carried on the Chinese mission to the U.N.’s website.

“We thank the international community for its expressions of sympathy and concern,” he added.

Taiwan’s foreign ministry expressed anger at the remarks.

The ministry “solemnly condemns China’s shameless use of the Taiwan earthquake to conduct cognitive operations internationally”, it said, using Taiwan’s normal term for what it views as Chinese psychological warfare.

This shows China has no goodwill towards Taiwan, the ministry added.

Taiwan’s government has already thanked governments and leaders around the world for their messages of concern and offers of support, including from the United States, the island’s most important international supporter despite the lack of diplomatic ties.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

CCTV footage from a Taiwan hospital has surfaced online, showing nurses in the neonatal unit heroically rushing to protect babies in their incubators during a recent earthquake. The video captures the nurses’ quick action as they hold onto newborn cots, ensuring the babies’ safety amidst the tremors.

The video shows a dramatic scene in the maternity unit. As the building begins to tremble, four staff members spring into action. Their priority is clear: protecting the fragile newborns. They scramble to steady the bassinets, their eyes darting towards a nearby window, a potential source of flying debris that could endanger the babies, as per the BBC. 

See the video here:

Nurses in a Taiwan Hospital protecting babies during Earthquake pic.twitter.com/I66wVRdMME

— Bonjour (@imromec) April 3, 2024

Social media was awash with videos and images from around the island shared by people who experienced the quake.

In one clip, a man struggles to get out of a rooftop swimming pool as the water swirls violently. In another, a webcam catches three cats running amok as an apartment shakes from side to side. 

At least nine people were killed and more than 1,000 injured Wednesday by a powerful earthquake in Taiwan that damaged dozens of buildings and prompted tsunami warnings that extended to Japan and the Philippines before being lifted.

Dozens of people were believed safe but unreachable in areas cut off by massive landslides triggered by the quake — many in tunnels that cut through the mountains that bisect the island from north to south. 

Debris surrounds a tilted building a day after a powerful earthquake struck, in Hualien City, eastern Taiwan, on April 4, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

Rescuers searched for dozens of people out of contact on April 4, a day after Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in a quarter century damaged buildings, caused multiple rockslides and killed nine people.

In the eastern coastal city of Hualien near the epicentre, workers used an excavator to put construction materials around the base of a damaged building to stabilise it and prevent a collapse. Mayor Hsu Chen-wei previously said 48 residential buildings were damaged. Some of the damaged buildings tilted at precarious angles with their ground floors crushed.

More than 1,000 people were injured in the quake that struck on Wednesday morning. Of the nine dead, at least four were struck inside Taroko National Park, a tourist attraction famous for its scenes of canyons and cliffs in Hualien County, about 150 km (90 miles) from the island’s capital Taipei.

“Nearly 150 people were either still trapped or out of contact on April 4,” the National Fire Agency said.

About two dozen tourists and some others were stranded in the park. The Health and Welfare Ministry said 64 others were workers at a rock quarry. Six workers from another quarry were airlifted from the area where access was cut off because roads were damaged by falling rocks.

Several people, including six university students, were also reported to be trapped. Around 50 people, mostly employees at the hotel earlier reported to be in the national park, were out of contact with authorities.

For hours after the quake, TV showed neighbours and rescue workers lifting residents through windows and onto the street from damaged buildings where the shaking had fused shut the doors. It wasn’t clear on Thursday morning if any people were trapped in the damaged buildings.

The temblor and aftershocks caused many landslides and damaged roads, bridges and tunnels. The national legislature and sections of Taipei’s main airport had minor damage.

Taiwan measured the initial quake’s strength as 7.2 magnitude while the U.S. Geological Survey put it at 7.4. The Central Weather Administration has recorded more than 300 aftershocks from Wednesday morning into Thursday.

Taiwan is regularly jolted by earthquakes and its population is among the best prepared for them. It also had stringent construction requirements to ensure buildings are quake-resistant.

The economic losses caused by the quake are still unclear. The self-ruled island is the leading manufacturer of the world’s most sophisticated computer chips and other high-technology items that are sensitive to seismic events.

Hualien was last struck by a deadly quake in 2018 that killed 17 people and brought down a historic hotel. Taiwan’s worst recent quake on September 21, 1999, a magnitude of 7.7 temblor, caused 2,400 deaths, injuring around 1,00,000 and destroying thousands of buildings.