Taipei City: The death toll from a series of powerful earthquakes that hit the eastern coast of Taiwan has risen to four, and the number of people who have been injured has increased to 97, Taiwanese newspaper China Times reported on Wednesday, citing the island’s fire department.
A tourist hiking attraction, the Dekalun Trail, had the most casualties, with three people killed and another 40 injured there, the report said.
The media reported earlier in the day that the death toll stood at one person and that the number of people injured as a result of the earthquakes exceeded 50.
According to data from the China Earthquake Administration, a 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Hualien County in eastern Taiwan on Wednesday. The earthquake was followed by more than 11 earth tremors with a magnitude of over 4, the administration said.
On Wednesday morning, a series of powerful earthquakes were recorded off Taiwan.
A spokesperson for the Japan Meteorological Agency said the strongest earthquake had a magnitude of 7.7. It was followed by a 6.6-magnitude earthquake and a 6.3-magnitude earth tremor, according to data from the Japan Meteorological Agency. Social media users posted videos on X showing that several buildings in Taiwan tilted and were partially destroyed.
