What We Know About the Earthquake in Taiwan

A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake that rocked Taiwan during the morning commute on Wednesday was the strongest quake to hit the island in 25 years.

It initially triggered forecasts of tsunami waves in China, Japan and the Philippines, but those warnings were later canceled. There were more than 100 aftershocks and more were expected over the next three to four days.

Here’s what we know about the earthquake and its aftermath.

The earthquake killed at least nine people and injured more than 880 others. Another 131 people were trapped, Taiwan’s fire department said Wednesday afternoon.

Among the dead were at least three hikers who were hit by falling rocks on a trail in Taroko National Park, according to the state-owned Central News Agency.

The heaviest damage was in Hualien County on the east coast near the epicenter, which was about 11 miles south of the city of Hualien, the county seat. All nine people who died were in the county, the authorities said. But the quake was felt throughout Taiwan.

Buildings shook for more than a minute in the capital, Taipei. Rail services were halted across the island. Airlines canceled or delayed dozens of flights. More than 360,000 households lost power at one point on Wednesday, according to Taiwan’s Central Emergency Operation Center.

The worst damage was in the city of Hualien, where several buildings were tilted over with their ground-floor levels crushed. One of the buildings, a 10-story structure that housed a mix of homes and shops, was one of the centers of the rescue efforts.

Throughout Taiwan, the quake and its aftershocks caused 15 buildings to collapse partially and damaged 67 others. One building in Changhua County, on the west coast, collapsed entirely, according to