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The largest earthquake since the 1999 Jiji quake has struck Taiwan, damaging infrastructure and sparking tsunami warnings. The 1999 Jiji quake came in at 7.7 on the Richter scale and killed 2,415 people, while this latest quake was a 7.4 magnitude quake and has an unconfirmed death toll, as of right now.
The earthquake struck about 11 miles south-southwest of Hualien City at 7:58 am local time and was followed by multiple strong aftershocks, including a 6.5 magnitude quake that struck about 7 miles northeast of Hualien City, while all others were between 5.1 and 5.7.
Tsunami warnings have been issued for parts of Taiwan, Philippines, Japan, and China, which all have land within 186 miles of the epicenter. Some surrounding islands, such as Japan's Okinawa, took a heavy impact from tsunamis that were around 10 feet. Officials in some parts of the Philippines even recommended evacuation to citizens living in coastal areas, and owners of boats were advised to strongly secure them to avoid them getting swept away.
Not much severe damage to large buildings, apart from falling roof tiles or broken furniture, was done in Taiwan, with the exception of a five-story building in Hualien City that suffered severe damage, as the first floor collapsed and left the building leaning over a nearby road. However, 26 other smaller structures also collapsed, and reports have stated that people are trapped in some of them. Search-and-rescue operations are already taking place, and updates are coming in.
Taiwan's capital of Taipei also suffered from some severe shaking, which in turn led to a short shutdown of the country's train and subway networks. However, the morning was able to proceed normally after a quick recovery. Children were able to go to school for the day and the trains reopened within a matter of hours.
The only report on any injuries has been on the roads, where 9 people were injured due to rockslides. The boulders crushed at least 12 cars and damaged multiple important tunnels along the Suhua Highway, which runs on Taiwan's steep eastern cliffs and connects through Hualien City.
Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): In Germany, you are banned from stopping on their roads, named the Autobahn, meaning that running out of gas and coming to a halt would technically be illegal.
Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): The price of doing the same old thing is far higher than the price of change. (Bill Clinton)
Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Ethereal (adj)- Ethereal means "of or relating to the regions beyond the earth" or "of or resembling heaven." It can also mean "lacking material substance" and "relating to, containing, or resembling a chemical ether."
In a Sentence: The windows give the church an ethereal glow.
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