Spanning most if not all of the
coastal regions in the Pacific Ocean is a region famously known as the Ring of
Fire. Heavy plate tectonic activity within this zone has been the perennial cause
of various natural disasters in the nations that fall within the ring. As the
name implies, the primary natural disaster wrought by the Ring of Fire are
volcanic eruptions; it does contain about two-thirds of the world’s total
number of volcanoes, after all. But aside from that, the ring also triggers
powerful earthquakes sometimes accompanied by tsunamis. The former actually visited
Taiwan this past weekend.
Reuters has it that a
series of earthquakes struck southeastern Taiwan last September 17 and 18, 2022.
The first occurred Saturday and measured 6.4 in magnitude, followed by a
stronger 6.8 magnitude tremor on Sunday. The epicenter according to the
Taiwanese central weather bureau was in Taitung County. The tectonic activity
most likely responsible is the convergence of the Eurasian Plate and Philippine
Plate, with Taiwan lying near its boundary just northwest. While no casualties
were reported in the first quake, the second racked up several injuries, one
death, hundreds stranded and various infrastructural damages.
In nearby Yuli township, a
three-story building housing a convenience store collapsed, with four people evacuated
from the ruins. Yuli also reported the first fatality of the earthquakes, a
cement factory worker. At Dongli train station in eastern Taiwan, the platform
canopy partially collapsed, causing six railway carriages to derail.
Furthermore, road damage led to around 600 tourists and locals being trapped on
the scenic Liushshi and Chike mountainous areas. Tremors also led to
electricity and telecommunications being knocked out in Taitung and neighboring
places. Miraculously the toll in casualties has been remarkably low. The US
Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued warnings, but it has since been rescinded.
The Japan Meteorological Agency also gave (and repealed) similar warnings to
Okinawa.
Central Weather Bureau noted that
the earthquakes were felt further inland, with tremors being recorded in Taipei.
West of Taipei, in Taoyuan, a sports venue shuddered significantly enough to
send athletes inside scrambling when part of the ceiling collapsed, causing one
injury. Still, science facilities in Kaohsiung and Tainan, both in southern
Taiwan, reported that the quakes did not hamper their semiconductor factory
operations. At latest report, aftershocks continue to be felt across Taiwan,
but for the most part the worst seems to be over.
Image courtesy of Fox News
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