Largest earthquakes of the 21st century occurred in Asia
The 7.4 magnitude earthquake that hit Taiwan on Wednesday morning (3), local time, joins the list of the strongest to hit Asia in the 21st Century. The tremor left at least nine dead and almost 1,000 injured and is the worst in the country in 25 years.
The continent is frequently hit by strong tremors. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the strongest were magnitude 9.1 that occurred in Japan in 2011, which generated a tsunami that hit and damaged the Fukushima nuclear plant, and on the coast of Sumatra, in 2004, with a tsunami that killed at least 230 thousand people.
Check out the biggest earthquakes to hit Asia in the 21st Century:
- Coast of Japan (2011): 9.1 magnitude – 18.5 thousand dead;
- Coast of Sumatra (2004): 9.1 magnitude – 230 thousand dead;
- Sumatra Coast (2005): 8.6 magnitude – 1.3 thousand dead;
- Sichuan, China (2008): 7.9 magnitude – 87 thousand deaths;
- Berpak, Neapal (2015): 7.8 magnitude – 9 thousand dead;
- Hailen, Taiwan (2024): 7.4 magnitude – 9 dead, so far.
What is known so far about the earthquake in Taiwan:
- This is the strongest earthquake recorded in Taiwan in the last 25 years.
- According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, a 7.4 magnitude tremor was recorded off the east coast of Taiwan.
- At least 26 buildings collapsed, more than half of them in the city of Hualien.
- The official number is 946 injured, according to the Taiwanese government.
- 50 people who were in four minibuses are missing.
- In Taipei, part of the city was left without power. A video shows frightened passengers inside a subway car.
- After the tremor, tsunami warnings were issued for islands in Japan and the Philippines and canceled about three hours later.
- The earthquake was also felt in coastal Chinese cities, including Shanghai.
