THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
nationthailand

Magnitude 6.0 earthquake leaves one dead

Magnitude 6.0 earthquake leaves one dead

TAIPEI (CNA) — An elderly woman in New Taipei apparently died after a magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck northeastern Taiwan at 5:28 a.m. Thursday, according to the city’s fire department.

 

 

The earthquake, with its epicenter at sea about 36.5 kilometers southeast of Yilan County Hall at a depth of 22.5 km, also caused delays to five south-bound trains operated by Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp., affecting 2,500 passengers.

Shortly after the temblor, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) activated the emergency response mechanism set up after she took office in 2016.

After receiving briefings from the National Security Council, Tsai posted a message on her Facebook and other social media platforms reassuring the public that no major damage or casualties had been reported as a result of the earthquake.

However, a 60 year-old-woman in New Taipei was apparently crushed by a closet that toppled over during the quake and later declared dead by hospital authorities, the fire department reported later in the day.

Due to the earthquake, the departure of the first Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT train to Taipei was delayed from 5:57 a.m. until 6:20 a.m.

Meanwhile, Taipei City Fire Department reported several cases of people trapped in elevators and damage to buildings, while Taichung City reported leaks of ruptured water and natural gas pipelines.

In addition, thousands of households suffered power outages in the wake of the earthquake, with power restored to most affected households as of 10 a.m.

Experts said Yilan, which lies near the junction of two tectonic plates and is prone to earthquakes, is likely to suffer from more powerful earthquakes in the future.

RELATED
nationthailand