United States extends assistance following a Taiwan earthquake
A powerful earthquake struck Taiwan on Wednesday, resulting in at least nine fatalities and over 1,000 injuries. The quake caused extensive damage to numerous buildings and triggered tsunami warnings that reached Japan and the Philippines but were later lifted.
Dozens of individuals were reported safe but unreachable, particularly in areas isolated by significant landslides triggered by the tremors, including tunnels passing through the island's mountainous regions.
Officials described the earthquake as the strongest to hit Taiwan in decades and cautioned that further tremors could occur in the coming days, as reported by AFP.
Despite the severity of the earthquake, Taiwan's strict building regulations and widespread public awareness of disaster preparedness helped mitigate the impact, preventing a major catastrophe in the earthquake-prone region, located near the convergence of two tectonic plates.
A powerful earthquake struck Taiwan on Wednesday, resulting in at least nine fatalities and over 1,000 injuries. The quake caused extensive damage to numerous buildings and triggered tsunami warnings that reached Japan and the Philippines but were later lifted.
Dozens of individuals were reported safe but unreachable, particularly in areas isolated by significant landslides triggered by the tremors, including tunnels passing through the island's mountainous regions.
Officials described the earthquake as the strongest to hit Taiwan in decades and cautioned that further tremors could occur in the coming days.
Despite the severity of the earthquake, Taiwan's strict building regulations and widespread public awareness of disaster preparedness helped mitigate the impact, preventing a major catastrophe in the earthquake-prone region, located near the convergence of two tectonic plates.
The magnitude-7.4 earthquake struck just before 8am local time on Wednesday, with the epicenter located 18 kilometers (11 miles) south of Taiwan’s Hualien City at a depth of 34.8 kilometers, according to the United States Geological Survey.
Officials reported that three individuals from a group of seven hiking in the hills surrounding the city were tragically killed by boulders dislodged by the earthquake.
In addition, three people lost their lives in separate incidents when their vehicles were struck by falling rocks while driving, while another fatality occurred at a quarry.
The National Fire Agency confirmed that all fatalities occurred in Hualien county, with 1,011 people sustaining injuries across Taiwan, although the severity of these injuries was not specified.
The White House announced on Wednesday that the United States is prepared to offer any required assistance to Taiwan following a significant earthquake that resulted in hundreds of injuries and claimed at least nine lives.
National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson stated, "We are monitoring reports of the earthquake impacting Taiwan and continue to monitor its potential impact on Japan."
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