Major Earthquake Hits Taiwan, Buildings Collapse
TAIPEI (Reuters) - A major earthquake struck Taiwan early Tuesday, knocking down buildings and cutting power, state radio reported. The radio said the earthquake was estimated at 7.3 on the open-ended Richter Scale and its epicenter was believed to be Nantou, a seismically active area in central Taiwan. The main quake was followed by several aftershocks.
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Earthquake Kills Power in Taiwan
By WILLIAM FOREMAN Associated Press Writer
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) - An earthquake struck Taipei before dawn Tuesday, knocking out power and shaking buildings. State radio said it was the strongest in Taiwan in 10 years.
Telephone service was interrupted for a time by the quake, which occurred at about 1:45 a.m. The Broadcasting Corp. of China said it was followed by six aftershocks and cut electric service in parts of the city.
Sirens - from fire trucks and police cars - resounded through Taipei, which is home to about 2.6 million people and is the largest city in Taiwan. But there was no sign of panic.
In the southwestern Chiang Kai-shek district, some people brought candles into the street. Many carried umbrellas to stay out of the rain, huddling around battery-operated radios.
There was no immediate word on injuries or damage.
Rern-Wei Cheng, a visitor to Taipei from California, said he was watching television with his family when the earthquake struck.
''When I first felt the quake, I thought of a Turkish friend who went back to Turkey to visit his family when the earthquake hit there....We were all frightened and we hid under the kitchen table.'' No one in the family was hurt.
In one Taipei suburb, electricity was out in houses, but street lights were on.
The U.S. Geological Survey National Earthquake Information Center in Golden, Colo., said it had a report of the quake. Pam Benfield, a USGS official, said the quake's magnitude was not immediately available. |
