A magnitude 7.4 earthquake rattled eastern Taiwan on Wednesday morning, killing at least seven people, a media report said.
The temblor, billed as the strongest to hit Taiwan in 25 years, left seven people dead and more than 700 wounded, Reuters reported.
Another 77 people are reportedly trapped in tunnels and buildings, which caved in due to the impact. Rescuers struggled to retrieve the injured and bodies.
The sparsely populated, mountainous eastern city of Hualien was struck at about am. The quake, which hit at a depth of 15.5 km, occurred in the morning rush hour, triggering a tsunami warning that was later lifted.
Sixty of the 77 individuals trapped were caught in a tunnel north of Hualien city, firefighters said. At least two Germans are among those trapped in another tunnel.
President-elect Lai Ching-te was quoted as saying: “At present the most important thing, the top priority, is to rescue people.”
Six F-16 jets were slightly damaged at a big base in the city, Taiwan’s air force said, hinting the aircraft would return to service soon.
In 2016, more than 100 people had been killed as a result of an earthquake in southern Taiwan.
hz/mud
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