Taiwan earthquake: Strongest earthquake for Taiwan since 1999 claim lives, destroy buildings

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Rescue effort still dey go on for Taiwan afta one powerful earthquake strike di kontri east coast on Wednesday and kill at least four pipo.

Di 7.4 magnitude earthquake caused many buildings to collapse for Hualien, di city wey close to I east coast pass.

Dis na di strongest tremor to hit di island since 25 years and pipo wey dey yonder, inside Taiwan far away mountain bin also feel am, so tey dem even experience big landslides.

For capital Taipei, videos show as buildings shake seriously.

“Di earthquake bin dey close to land and e dey shallow. Dem feel am all ova Taiwan and offshore islands… na di strongest inside 25 years,” Wu Chien Fu, di director of Taipei Seismology Center tok.

Di National Fire Agency say three pipo don die for one trail around Taroko National Park, wey dem bin name afta one landmark valley just outside Hualien.

More dan 50 pipo bin wunjure and some dey trapped inside buildings and tunnels for different parts of di city, di agency add.

Taiwan chipmaking giant TSMC say e don evacuated some of im factories for Hsinchu and southern Taiwan for im staff safety, but add say im safety systems dey operate normally.

TSMC is a major producer of semiconductors for tech companies including Apple and Nvidia.

Apple supplier Foxconn did not immediately respond to the BBC’s request for comment.

Earlier, di earthquake bin set off tsunami warnings for di island and neighboring countries.

For Taipei, videos wey local tori pipo dey show, show buildings wey don collapse plus pipo wey dem move comot from dia house and schools.

Di impact of di earthquake smash cars plus scata tins inside stores, according to videos wey by local tori pipo TVBS.

Reports of no light, no internet dey come from across the island, according to internet monitoring group NetBlocks.

Wednesday earthquake hit exactly 07:58 local time (23:58 GMT) wit power of 15.5km and don’t cause at least nine aftershocks wey reach magnitude 4 or more.

The main location of the earthquake is about 18km (11 miles) south of Hualien, according to the US Geological Survey.

Hualien dey Taiwan east coast, for di mountain region.

Cities for di area no too get population.

Major roads and rail lines wey connect Hualien to the rest of Taiwan no dey work. So, as e be, rescue teams fit just enta di area by air.

For September 1999, one 7.6-magnitude earthquake hit Taiwan, killing 2,400 people and destroying 5,000 buildings.

For neighboring Japan, authorities bin don draw ear give dia kontri pipo earlier say dem dey expect tsunami waves of up to 3m to reach large areas for im southwestern coast.

Japan Meteorological Agency later downgrade di warning, but ask im pipo to shine dia eyes and remain “vigilant for aftershocks wit similar intensity” for about one week.

Di Philippines seismology agency also give tsunami warning just afta di quake hit, encourage pipo for di area say make dem move to higher ground – but later cancel am.

Di Pacific Tsunami Warning Center for one update wey dem give about two hours afta di quake hit, say di tsunami threat “don pass now”.

Chinese state media say dem bin feel tremors for parts of China south-eastern Fujian province.