23-4-2024 (TAIPEI) Taiwan’s capital Taipei was jolted by a succession of powerful earthquakes that struck overnight and into the early hours of 23rd April. According to the Central Weather Administration, the most potent of these tremors registered a magnitude of 6.3 and originated in the eastern region of Hualien.
The initial quake, a 5.5-magnitude tremor, struck at approximately 5:08 pm local time on 22nd April and could be felt across the capital city of Taipei, the Central Weather Administration reported. This was followed by a series of aftershocks and quakes, with two particularly intense tremors hitting one after the other around 2:30 am on 23rd April, as witnessed by AFP reporters and residents in Taipei.
“I was washing my hands when I suddenly felt what I thought was vertigo,” recounted Olivier Bonifacio, a tourist staying in Taipei’s Da’an district, to AFP. “I stepped into my room and noticed the building was rocking, and I heard the desk creak. It was then that I realised it was another aftershock.”
???? BREAKING :
A 6.1 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE HAS HIT TAIWAN’S CAPITAL TAIPEI. ???? ‼️#EarthDay2024— Meme of Memers (@Memeofmemers) April 23, 2024
The Central Weather Administration confirmed that a magnitude-6.0 quake had struck at 2:26 am, followed six minutes later by the magnitude-6.3 tremor. The US Geological Survey, however, recorded the first quake as a magnitude-6.1, followed by a magnitude-6.0.
Throughout the remainder of the night, the Central Weather Administration recorded dozens of smaller tremors, with a new one occurring every few minutes, all centered in the Hualien region, according to its website. During the intense quakes, AFP reporters could feel their buildings swaying, with one remarking that “glass panels of bathroom and windows were making noises” as the island shuddered.
The Hualien region had been the epicenter of a magnitude-7.4 quake that struck on 3rd April, causing landslides that blocked roads around the mountainous area, while buildings in the main Hualien city suffered severe damage. At least 17 people lost their lives in that quake, with the latest body being recovered from a quarry on 13th April. Two Singaporean tourists, who reportedly embarked on a hike on 3rd April, remain missing.
Early on 23rd April, Hualien’s fire department dispatched teams to assess any potential damage from the new quakes. At 2:54 am local time, they released a statement confirming that no casualties had been reported yet, although two buildings – a hotel and an apartment block – were leaning to the side following the tremors.
Taiwan, situated at the junction of two tectonic plates, frequently experiences earthquakes. The 3rd April quake was followed by hundreds of aftershocks, which caused rockfalls around Hualien. It was the most severe quake to hit Taiwan since 1999, when a magnitude-7.6 tremor claimed the lives of 2,400 people in the island’s deadliest natural disaster to date.
Stricter building regulations, including enhanced seismic requirements in its building codes, and widespread public disaster awareness appeared to have mitigated a more serious catastrophe in the 3rd April quake.
