Photo Credit: TVBS via AP Photo
A powerful earthquake hit Taiwan during the morning rush Wednesday, damaging buildings and creating a tsunami that washed ashore on southern Japanese islands.
A five-story building in lightly populated Hualien appeared heavily damaged, collapsing its first floor and leaving the rest leaning at a 45-degree angle. In the capital, Taipei, tiles fell from older buildings and within some newer office complexes.
Schools evacuated their students to sports fields, equipping them with protective yellow head coverings. Many small children also wore motorcycle helmets to guard against falling objects amid continuing aftershocks.
Train service was suspended across the island of 23 million people, as was subway service in Taipei, where a newly constructed above-ground line partially separated. The national legislature, a converted school built before World War II, also had damage to walls and ceilings.
Despite the quake striking at the height of the morning rush hour, there was little panic on the island that regularly is rocked by temblors and holds drills at schools and issues notices via public media and mobile phone. Schools and government offices were given the option of cancelling work and classes.
The Seismological Center of Taiwan’s meteorological agency has warned that the island could face aftershocks with a magnitude of between 6.5 and 7.0 over the next three to four days.
At least 25 aftershocks have been registered since the initial quake, according to Taiwan’s central weather administration.
China Earthquake Networks Center recorded five aftershocks of about 5 magnitude in Taiwan within an hour of the first quake.
