Taiwan hit with 2nd earthquake in 24 hrs

Taipei : The second powerful earthquake in Taiwan within 24 hours has created panic. The magnitude of Sunday’s earthquake was measured at 6.8 on the Richter scale, while the magnitude of Saturday’s earthquake was 6.4. One building was reported to have collapsed due to Sunday’s earthquake. A train was derailed by an earlier earthquake. Sunday’s quake was the most powerful of dozens of aftershocks being felt in the southeast of the island nation of Taiwan.

Taiwan’s Central Meteorological Bureau said the quake’s epicentre was just seven kilometers below the surface near the city of Chishang. Taiwan’s Central News Agency said the quake caused the collapse of a three-story building near the city of Yuli, with 7 to 11 shops on the lower floors and people living on the upper floors. One person has been pulled out of the rubble while relief and rescue teams are in touch with the remaining three people trapped. It is seen in the pictures that after the collapse of the upper two floors, the debris fell on the narrow road, due to which the electric wires were also broken.

According to the report, the bridge on the road connecting the rural areas of Yuli collapsed and police and firefighters have reached the spot, in which one or more vehicles are feared to have fallen from the bridge. The agency quoted the railway administration as saying that three coaches of a train parked there tilted to one side after an umbrella built on top of the platform fell at Dongli station in Phuli city between Yuli and the epicentre of the earthquake. Tremors of the earthquake were also felt in the north of Taiwan’s capital Taipei.

Japan’s Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning for several islands in southern Japan near Taiwan, which was later withdrawn.