(Image via theguardian.com)

Staff Writer: Gwen Pichette

Email: gpichette@umassd.edu

Frantic rescue and recovery efforts are underway as Taiwan was just shocked by its largest earthquake in 25 years. The earthquake, with a whopping magnitude of 7.4, struck the eastern coast of Taiwan on April 3rd just before 8 AM. 

While there are currently 13 confirmed victims, the death toll continues to climb, as six people remain missing, presumably pinned beneath the rubble.

Thousands are injured and an estimated 400 people are also anxiously awaiting rescue, stranded by the debris from a series of landslides that followed the quake. 

To make matters worse, violent aftershocks, potentially reaching a magnitude as high as seven, are expected to continue to affect the already devastated area.

There’s no telling when exactly these quakes will hit, as experts say aftershocks “can occur days, weeks, or even years after the first earthquake” and can even “be of equal or larger magnitude to the initial earthquake.” 

Chief scientist Adam Pascale believes Taiwan was “as well prepared for this earthquake as it could be.” This is thanks to the ever-looming threats of natural disasters that Taiwan is no stranger to. 

Taiwan is situated in the dead center of three tectonic plates, a region fittingly known as “The Ring of Fire.” It remains the world’s most seismically and volcanically active region. 

The 25,000-mile-long region is the epicenter for recurring natural disasters, accounting for “81 percent of the world’s largest earthquakes, more than 80 percent of tsunamis, and about 75 percent of all active volcanoes.” 

Despite such danger, Pascale commended Taiwan for the safety measures they have taken over the years to make the country as safe as possible for civilians: 

“They introduced new building standards, reinforced existing buildings, and established an earthquake early warning system. Sensors throughout the country can potentially provide precious seconds of warning of incoming strong shaking so that people have time to take cover to protect themselves from falling objects.”

These monumental changes followed one of the deadliest earthquakes in Taiwan’s history: the Chi-Chi Earthquake in 1999. With a 7.7 magnitude, the quake killed 2,500 people and injured over 11,000, leaving 100,000 homeless in its wake. It also affected the economy, with a colossal loss of $300 billion. 

On September 21st, the day of the infamous earthquake, Taiwan was ordered to prepare for potential disasters. This included practices such as mock alerts, evacuations, and drills.  

Yet despite Taiwan’s preparedness for disasters, the rescue efforts remain perilous. 

Joseph Barbera, a member of a response team, talked about the difficulties at hand when rescuing people from rubble: 

“The issue of trying to identify anyone that might be alive can be difficult. Then getting to those that you’ve located that are deeply entombed can require a Herculean effort with multidisciplinary teams,” Barbera told USA TODAY.

Hualien County, Taiwan’s largest county, was the region most impacted by the disaster. 

Survivors shared that local shops and small businesses in Hualien County that were “operating for over a decade” and bustling with life just the night before, “were gone in one morning.”

One building in Hualien County is proving to be particularly hazardous. At ten stories high, it leans treacherously over the streets of Hualien after the earthquake. The building was unable to be demolished swiftly because of continued aftershocks, which reportedly made it lean even further. 

City officials report that experts are scrambling to plan how to proceed with the demolition process of the building, which is pictured below. 

This was only one of 48 other residential buildings that were damaged. 

Traveling will prove to be a struggle, as multiple bridges, tunnels, and roads have been blocked by landslides and are in dire need of repairs. 

The expense for such insurmountable damages has yet to be calculated, though it is expected to be costly. The last earthquake in Taiwan cost the nation nearly $10 billion.