Almost 100 aftershocks recorded overnight following Taiwan’s 7.3-magnitude quake

A total of 96 aftershocks were recorded on Wednesday night and Thursday early morning following the 7.3-magnitude earthquake that jolted Taiwan, according to Taiwan’s meteorological agency.

The epicenters of all the aftershocks, which occurred from 11 p.m. Wednesday to 8:20 a.m. Thursday (Beijing Time), were located in Hualien County’s coastal area and nearby waters. The maximum earthquake intensity reached 4 magnitude, the agency said.

The 7.3-magnitude earthquake jolted the sea area near Hualien of China’s Taiwan at 7:58 a.m. Wednesday, killing nine people and injuring more than 1,000 people. A total of 101 people are trapped and 34 were missing as of 12 a.m. Thursday, local authorities said.

On Wednesday night, Xinhua correspondents stayed in Hualien at a homestay about 700 meters away from a building that collapsed after the earthquake. There were obvious tremors throughout the night.

The aftershocks were particularly severe at around 2:30 and 3 a.m. Thursday, prompting the authorities to issue a mobile phone earthquake warning to citizens.

Xinhua correspondents reported seeing some houses with damaged walls, deformed pillars, and some wall collapses in Hualien City.

On Wednesday evening, correspondents took a ride from Taitung north to Hualien and saw no obvious damage to the houses along the way.

According to information released by the island’s emergency disaster management agency and media reports, the earthquake caused relatively minor damage in areas other than Hualien, while the majority of the casualties and trapped people were in Hualien.

According to statistics from Hualien County, there are 20 shelters established in the county.

Early Thursday morning, an official of Hualien told reporters that the search and rescue efforts in Hualien were almost complete, with the exception of the Taroko Scenic Area, which was difficult to evacuate in time due to traffic disruptions.

Search and rescue teams from all over Taiwan came to Hualien. Tents and daily necessities were provided to people who were temporarily staying in shelters due to damaged houses. (BSS/Xinhua)