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Post by Webster on Apr 2, 2024 22:19:10 GMT -5
(The Guardian) Let’s get the latest on what we know about the tsunami warnings and advisories – most of which appear to have passed. Japan’s Meteorological Agency has downgraded its tsunami forecast from 3m (9.8 feet) to 1m (3.3 feet). One island had a wave of about 30cm (a foot), while smaller waves were detected in other islands, according to Associated Press. Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said there has been no report of injury or damage in Japan. He urged the residents in the Okinawa region to stay on safe ground until all tsunami advisories were lifted. China issued no warnings for the Chinese mainland, and there was no threat for Hawaii and Guam. More than two hours after the quake struck Taiwan, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the threat of a tsunami has largely passed.
The latest just coming in – Japan has lifted all tsunami advisories after the earthquake, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. Earlier it was reported that Japan had downgraded its forecast and Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi had urged the residents in the Okinawa region to stay on safe ground until all tsunami advisories were lifted.
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Post by Webster on Apr 2, 2024 22:29:54 GMT -5
(The Guardian) 11:21pm Summary--The earthquake struck at 7:58 am local time, about 18km south-southwest of Hualien --It was about 35 km (21 miles) deep, according to Associated Press --Japan has put the earthquake at 7.7 magnitude --Tsunami warnings and advisories had been issued – but the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said that the threat from Taiwan’s earthquake “has now passed”.
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Post by Webster on Apr 2, 2024 23:07:43 GMT -5
(The Guardian) As we continue to get updates on what is happening in Hualien, which is near to the epicentre of the earthquake, our reporter Gregor Hunter paints a picture of what the town is like in normal times: Hualien is a charming beach town sandwiched between Taiwan’s mountain ranges on the island’s east coast. It regularly attracts tourists from elsewhere in the island for the stunning natural beauty of the surrounding landscape, including the nearby Taroko Gorge national park, and also hosts a wealth of Taiwanese aboriginal culture nestled alongside its backpacker hostels and surf shops.
The city’s position on the windswept east coast affords it little shelter behind the mountain range that shields the rest of Taiwan from incoming typhoons from the Pacific Ocean.
There are only a few road and rail connections and no stops on the high-speed rail service that links cities along the island’s more industrialised west coast, though its coastal highways make it a favourite of cyclists.
The city also plays home to a major air force base, from where Taiwan’s F-16 fighter jets regularly scramble to intercept Chinese aerial incursions. Hualien’s last big quake was in 2022, when a 6.9-magnitude quake toppled buildings and derailed a train, killing one person and cutting off power for thousands of residents.
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Post by Webster on Apr 2, 2024 23:08:59 GMT -5
(The Guardian) Our reporter in Taiwan, Chi Hui Lin, has sent us this translated notice that Taiwan’s president Tsai Ing-wen has posted on her Facebook page detailing the country’s response to the disaster: Central Disaster Response Centre has been set up and various ministries are reporting on the situation in various places, so please pay attention to the various information released by the officials at any time, and please check carefully for any earthquake-related news.
I would also like to remind everyone that some trains on the Taiwan High-Speed Rail (THSR) have been delayed. For those who are commuting, please pay attention to the status of the MRT and Taiwan Railway operations in various places. In addition, there were a number of aftershocks this morning, and I would like to remind everyone not to take the lift for the time being, and to pay more attention to safety.
The Guardian’s reporter Gregor Hunter on the latest as he reports from Taipei: Damage was visible on some buildings in central Taipei on Wednesday morning, such as outside the Howard Plaza hotel, where the earthquake had damaged brickwork on its exterior and dislodged some of the lettering on the hotel’s sign.
Mike Hung Hsu, a guest of the hotel, said he was woken up by the earthquake during a visit to Taiwan from the US. “I’ve never felt this kind of earthquake in LA, even though we have earthquakes pretty often,” he said. “I used to live in Taiwan, in my memory we never had an earthquake like this one.”
He said his family had cancelled a planned sightseeing trip to Yilan county, near Hualien on the island’s east coast, as there was no way to travel by public transport.
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Post by Webster on Apr 3, 2024 0:11:29 GMT -5
(The Guardian) 12:25am Summary--At least four people are now reported to have been killed in Taiwan’s earthquake. The national fire agency said they died in Hualien County. Hualien was near the epicenter of the quake. --Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in 25 years struck the island’s eastern coast at 7:58am local time on Wednesday, causing buildings to collapse and triggering landslides. --The earthquake also prompted tsunami warnings on the island as well as southern Japan and northern Philippines - though both Japan and the Philippines have since lifted their warnings. --The quake’s epicentre was located 25km southeast of the city of Hualien, according to Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration. --Japan’s meteorological agency gave a magnitude of 7.7, while Taiwan’s earthquake monitoring agency registered 7.2. --A fire department official in Hualien county said that “two buildings had collapsed and some people are believed to be trapped”. --In a televised national briefing, Taiwan’s National Fire Agency said 26 buildings were reported “to tilt or collapse”, though it gave no details on the location of the structures. --Earlier, Taiwan’s fire department said more than 50 were injured, while local media reported residents were trapped inside collapsed buildings in the city of Hualien. --Taiwan’s electricity operator – Taipower- has said more than 87,000 people across the country are now without power. --Train lines were damaged, and schools and workplaces were closed across large areas of Hualien. Across Taiwan, more than 87,000 households were without power. --Violent shaking was felt in the capital Taipei, with aftershocks continuing throughout the day. The city’s subway service was briefly suspended, and some offices and schools said they would send staff home for the day. --TSMC, Taiwan’s leading manufacturer of advance chips, responsible for the production of most of the world’s advanced semiconductors, also evacuated its production lines. --Japan’s Meterological Agency warned of aftershocks of similar intensity to those felt in Taiwan may be likely over the next week. --Global internet monitor Netblocks has said that internet outages were being registered in parts of Taiwan after the quake.
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