7.4-magnitude earthquake rocks Taiwan, killing at least nine people and injuring at least 960 others.
A 7.4-magnitude earthquake rocked Taiwan early Wednesday morning, killing at least nine people and injuring at least 960 others, per Taiwan’s fire department. It was the largest earthquake to hit Taiwan in 25 years and was also felt in parts of China.
The quake hit about 15 miles south of Hualien county just before 8 a.m. local time. Taiwan recorded 76 aftershocks in less than five hours, according to the Central Weather Administration.
Rescuers are rushing to free 140 people trapped in highway tunnels and rock quarries. At least 100 buildings were damaged.
A quake this strong hadn’t hit the island since 1999, when an approximately 7.6-magnitude earthquake killed about 2,400 people.
Taiwan is especially vulnerable to earthquakes due to its location in the Ring of Fire, a horseshoe-shaped area in the Pacific Ocean filled with volcanoes and at the intersection of three tectonic plates. About 90% of the world’s earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire, according to the National Geographic Society.
