1 dead, over 140 injured after M6.8 quake hits southeastern Taiwan
One person has died and more than 140 others were reported injured a day after a magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck southeastern Taiwan on Sunday, according to local officials.
Authorities continued rescue operations Monday after four people were recovered alive after being trapped in a collapsed 7-Eleven convenience store in Yuli Township in Hualien County, the National Fire Agency said.
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.
Some train services were suspended after the quake damaged a station in Dongli Township in Hualien and caused a train to derail.
Some roads, homes and bridges sustained damage leading to collapses, with many injuries confirmed in Hualien and Taitung counties, local authorities said.
Water and electricity services were briefly disrupted as a result of damaged infrastructure but there were no reports of issues at the nation’s nuclear power plants.
The first in a series of earthquakes to strike the area was recorded on Saturday evening, causing some damage to roads.