A series of strong earthquakes, the largest of which had a magnitude of 6.3, shook the east coast of Taiwan during the afternoon of Monday and the early hours of Tuesday, causing the partial collapse of four buildings in the eastern county of Hualien.
According to images released by the state news agency CNA, a hotel and a block of flats partially collapsed in the capital of this county, where another 7.2 magnitude earthquake occurred 20 days ago, the most intense recorded on the island in the last 25 years.
The hotel was currently undergoing renovation and the residential building – which already suffered serious damage after the earthquake on April 3 – was unoccupied at the time of the earthquakes, so local authorities have confirmed that there have been no victims or wounded.
Likewise, a factory in Ji’an Township has collapsed from the second to the first floor, while another home in the rural town of Shoufeng, whose residents had moved after April 3, has partially collapsed.
The tremors, which coincided with a day of heavy rain, have also caused landslides and rockslides on several roads in Hualien county. Consequently, the local government has announced the closure of schools and offices in the region and has asked residents not to approach “dangerous” buildings.
For her part, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen asked the population to avoid the mountains and remain alert for possible aftershocks. “When an earthquake happens, don’t be afraid. Master the principle of ‘duck, cover and stay still,’ avoid head injuries and protect yourself,” the president wrote on her official Facebook account.
