Strong earthquake hits southeastern Taiwan, building collapses

A 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit the sparsely populated southeastern part of Taiwan on Sunday, the island’s weather bureau said, derailing train carriages, causing a convenience store to collapse and trapping hundreds on mountain roads.

The climate department said the focal point was in Taitung region and followed a 6.4 greatness earthquake on Saturday night in a similar region, which caused no losses.

The U.S. Geological Survey measured Sunday’s quake at a magnitude 7.2 and at a depth of 10 km (six miles).

Taiwan’s local group of fire-fighters said each of the four individuals were safeguarded from a structure lodging a general store that imploded in Yuli, while three individuals whose vehicle tumbled off a harmed span were protected and taken to emergency clinic.

The Taiwan Railways Administration said six carriages came off the rails at Dongli station in eastern Taiwan after part of the platform canopy collapsed, but the fire department said there were no injuries.

In excess of 600 individuals are caught on the picturesque Chike and Liushishi mountain regions by hindered streets, however there were no wounds and heros were attempting to return the streets, the division said.

The U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a warning for Taiwan after the tremor but later lifted the alert. Japan’s weather agency lifted a tsunami warning for part of Okinawa prefecture.

The tremor could be felt across Taiwan, the climate authority said. Structures shook momentarily in the capital Taipei, and post-quake tremors have kept on shocking the island.

Science parks in the southern cities of Tainan and Kaohsiung, home to major semiconductor factories, said there was no impact on operations.

Taiwan Semiconductor Assembling Co., the world’s biggest agreement chipmaker, said there was “no known critical effect for the time being.”

Taiwan lies near the junction of two tectonic plates and is prone to earthquakes.

In excess of 100 individuals were killed in a tremor in southern Taiwan in 2016, while a 7.3 extent shake killed in excess of 2,000 individuals in 1999.