At least one person died after a magnitude 6.9 earthquake hit the self-governing island of Taiwan on Sunday that also resulted in the destruction of buildings, derailing of train carriages, and trapping hundreds of residents on mountain roads.
The region's weather bureau said that the epicenter of the massive quake was in Taitung county and followed a magnitude 6.4 earthquake on Saturday evening in the same area. Fortunately, there were no reported fatalities in the first incident.
Magnitude 6.9 Earthquake
The U.S. Geological Survey measured the tremor on Sunday and found it was of magnitude 7.2 at a depth of 10 kilometers. In a statement, Taiwan's fire department said that four people, who were stranded, were rescued from a building housing a convenience store that collapsed in Yuli. authorities added that three people whose vehicle fell off a damaged bridge were rescued and taken to a local hospital for treatment.
On the other hand, the Taiwan Railways Administration said that six carriages came off the rails at Gondli station in eastern Taiwan after part of the platform canopy collapsed due to the quake. The fire department said that there were no reported injuries during that particular incident, as per Reuters.
The tremor caused more than 600 people to become trapped in the scenic Chike and Liushishi mountain areas due to blocked roads. There were no reports of injuries and rescue efforts were underway to reopen the roads in the area.
Read Also: More than 400 Flights Across Europe Canceled as French Air Traffic Controllers Go on Strike
A warning was issued by the U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center for Taiwan after the tremor but later lifted the alert. Likewise, Japan's weather agency lifted a tsunami warning for part of Okinawa prefecture.
According to CNN, photographs of the aftermath of the massive quake showed collapsed buildings in southern Taiwan. Officials were also able to evacuate roughly 20 passengers after a train derailed in the area.
Weekend Tremors Rock Taiwan
A former presidential spokeswoman, Kolas Yotaka, who is running for elections in Hualien county, said that the damages were also reported at a local school. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen activated the self-governing island's Central Emergency Operation Center following the earthquake.
Residents in the region have been urged to stay alert to avoid potential aftershocks caused by the massive tremor. Authorities deployed roughly 110 soldiers in Hualien county to assist with disaster relief efforts, said Taiwanese defense ministry spokesman Sun Li-fang.
The recent earthquake was the largest of more than 75 that rattled the island's south-eastern coast between Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon. The majority of the tremors' damage appeared to be north of the epicenter in the town of Chishang, in northern Taitung county, at a relatively shallow depth of six kilometers.
Central News Agency, Taiwan's state media, said that a man with the surname Huang lost his life at a factory in Hualien when a piece of machinery fell on top of him. The 70-year-old owner of the three-story building that collapsed in Yuli was rescued first along with his wife. However, it took longer to rescue the remaining two stranded people, a 39-year-old woman, and her five-year-old daughter, The Guardian reported.
Related Article: South African President Tells Washington Not To Force Itself on Pretoria With Its Bill
