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Phoenix Kwong

Some important facts about the 6.4-magnitude earthquake that struck Taiwan in the early hours of Saturday, claiming 13 lives as of 8.30pm:
Q: How strong was it?
A: The energy released by the earthquake would be equivalent to the explosions produced by two atomic bombs, according to Kuo Kai-wen, chief of Taiwan’s Seismology Centre. The quake was caused by movement along the island’s Chishan fault.
There were four earthquakes recorded in Taiwan last year with a magnitude of 6 or above, but they produced significantly less energy than the one today.

Q: With the epicentre located in Meinong district of Kaohsiung, why was Tainan so seriously affected?
A: Central Weather Bureau director-general Shin Tzay-chyn said the magnitude of today’s quake closely approximated that of another temblor in Kaohsiung’s Jiaxian district in 2010. The two epicentres were about 10 kilometres apart, and both lay along the same faults.
“Tainan was hit hard all because [of its] relatively soft geological formation, so the impact tends to be amplified in the event of a shallow earthquake,” Kuo said.
Tainan is located about 45 kilometres from Kaohsiung.
The Jiaxian quake caused less damage as it is located in a remote mountain area.

Q: What was the extent of today’s damage in Tainan?
Buildings mangled:
A 17-storey residential building housing about 96 families in Yongkang district collapsed. Rescuers were able to pull out about 250 people as of lunchtime.
At least five people from the building, including a 10-day-old baby girl and a 40-year-old man, reportedly died. The death toll as of 8.30pm was 13, with rescue workers still poring through the rubble.
Part of the Dazhili market in Tainan’s Hsinhua district also collapsed, trapping 70 households. Four people were injured, but none of the injuries were life-threatening.
A 7-story building in Xinyi North Road, Guiren district has been badly twisted but is still standing. The first two floors sustained heavy damage, and 34 people have been rescued with one injured.
A bank office building in Hsinhua district was twisted and poses a threat to neighbouring residential buildings. No causalities have been reported.

Official death toll:
The fire department of Tainan city said that seven people had perished as of 2.40 pm. Rescuers pulled out 249 survivors, with at least 75 taken to hospital. The department has dispatched 286 firefighters and 292 voluntary firemen, while 93 fire engines and 42 ambulances were sent to the scene.
Electricity suspended in parts of Tainan and Kaohsiung:
According to the Taiwan Power Company, up to 168,000 households in Tainan lost electricity after the earthquake, but most have since had services restored. About 3,000 are still in the dark. The electricity supply in other areas is normal, and the two nuclear power plants in the region have not been affected.
Water supply suspended in Tainan:
About 400,000 households have been affected by this as the quake damaged water pipes in Tainan.
Q: Has transportation been affected?
A: Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp said that operations along a lengthy section running from Taichung City midway up the west coast to the southern side of the island have been temporarily suspended.


Explainer: the damage dealt by Saturday’s shocking Taiwan quake

In this photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, rescuers search for survivors at a quake site in Tainan, Taiwan Saturday, Feb. 6, 2016. A powerful, shallow earthquake struck southern Taiwan before dawn Saturday. (Zhang Guojun/Xinhua via AP) NO SALES

A site where buildings collapsed is seen in this aerial picture taken after a powerful earthquake hit Tainan, southern Taiwan, February 6, 2016. REUTERS/Xinhua ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS IMAGE. THIS PICTURE IS DISTRIBUTED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVE. CHINA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN CHINA. TAIWAN OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN TAIWAN.

Relatives wait for news of their family who had been inside a 17-storey apartment building which collapsed after an earthquake hit Tainan, southern Taiwan February 6, 2016. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

epa05145657 An electronic bulletin board at the Taipei Railway Station announces cancellation of some high-speed train service after a magnitude 6.4 earthquake hit Tainan City, south Taiwan, 06 February 2016. The quake and aftershocks caused 20 buildings - including a 17-storey four-building complex - to fully or partially collapse, leaving at least nine people dead and 300 hundreds injured, according to the Central Emergency Operation Center ( EPA/DAVID CHANG

Rescuers search for survivors at the quake site in Tainan, Taiwan on Saturday morning. Photo: Xinhua

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