TOKYO – The magnitude-6.8 earthquake that struck southeastern Taiwan on Sunday, has left a trail of destruction on the island’s east coast, where two people remain trapped in a collapsed building.
The quake occurred at 2:44 p.m. Sunday in Taitung County’s Chishang Township at a depth of 7 kilometers, according to the Seismology Center of the Central Weather Bureau. The US Geological Survey placed the magnitude at 6.9 and the depth at 10 km.
In nearby Hualien County, the National Fire Agency said four people were trapped in a collapsed 7-Eleven convenience store in Yuli Township. Two of them were pulled out of the rubble, and rescuers are still searching for the other two.
Local reports said two bridges also collapsed, and another was damaged in Hualien County. The quake also damaged a train station in Dongli Township in Hualien and derailed one train.
Happily, there were no reports of damage to nuclear power plants. (Kyodo)