Strong earthquake in central Taiwan kills 1, injures 86

USPA News - A strong and shallow earthquake shook the island of Taiwan on Wednesday morning, killing one person and injuring more than 85 others as violent tremors damaged buildings and triggered fires, seismologists and emergency services said. No tsunami alert was issued.

The 6.1-magnitude earthquake at 10:03 a.m. local time (0203 GMT) on Wednesday was centered about 12 kilometers (7.4 miles) southeast of Puli, a town in central Nantou County. It struck about 15.4 kilometers (9.5 miles) deep, making it a shallow earthquake, according to Taiwan`s Central Weather Bureau. Seismologists said the strongest tremors were observed in Nantou County, but violent tremors also shook large parts of nearby Taichung City and Changhau County. Buildings also swayed in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, some 140 kilometers (87 miles) northeast of the epicenter. The National Fire Agency said it immediately sent rescue workers, including two helicopters, to the region to assess the situation. It confirmed an elderly woman was killed while 86 others were injured, including 21 in Nantou County, 58 in Taichung City, and seven in Changhau County. The 72-year-old woman was killed when she was crushed by a wall at a temple in Jiji, a town in Nantou County, a mostly mountainous region. Most of the people who were injured were said to be suffering from injuries caused by falling rocks, falling tiles and other objects, and broken windows. Fire officials said the earthquake also triggered fires at two houses in Nantou County and Taichung City, injuring one person before both fires were extinguished. Rescue workers also freed five people who became trapped in elevators in Nantou County, Taichung City, and Changhau County. Located along the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, Taiwan is frequently rattled by moderate and strong earthquakes. On April 26, 2010, a strong 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck southwestern Taiwan, injuring 96 people and damaging at least 340 buildings throughout the island. And on September 21, 1999, a powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck central Taiwan, killing at least 2,297 people and injuring nearly 9,.000 others. The quake, the second-deadliest earthquake in the island`s history, destroyed scores of homes and left more than 600,.000 people homeless. The only earthquake more deadly than the earthquake in 1999 was a powerful earthquake that struck western Taiwan on April 21, 1935. It left at least 3,276 people killed and injured more than 12,.000 others. Railways were left destroyed, iron bridges were fractured and tunnels cracked.