Sep 18, 2022 - World

Taiwan sees "widespread damage" from 6.8-magnitude earthquake

Jacob Knutson

A rescuer walking past a collapsed building after an earthquake at Yuli, Taiwan, on Sept. 18. — A rescuer walks past a collapsed building after an earthquake in Yuli, Taiwan, on Sept. 18. Photo: Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Image

A 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit Taiwan's southeastern coast on Sunday, collapsing a three-story building in the town of Yuli, derailing a train and stranding hundreds of tourists on a mountain, according to its state-run news agency.

The big picture: The quake caused "widespread damage" to infrastructure in Hualien and Taitung counties but no serious injuries were immediately reported.

Search and rescue personnel saved four people from the collapsed building in Yuli and three people trapped in the debris from the collapsed Gaoliao Bridge west of the town.
Around 400 tourists were evacuated off of Chike Mountain outside of the town after the quake destroyed electricity lines in the area, leaving more than 7,000 households without power.

The U.S. Tsunami Warning Center briefly issued a tsunami warning after the quake but lifted it an hour later.

Japan's Meteorological Agency also issued a tsunami advisory for parts of Okinawa Prefecture.

By the numbers: The region was hit by a magnitude 6.4 earthquake on Saturday and more than 70 quakes that were previously recorded as aftershocks but were reclassified as foreshocks.

The United States Geological Survey recorded Sunday's quake as 6.9 in magnitude.

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Taiwan sees "widespread damage" from 6.8-magnitude earthquake

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