A magnitude 6.8 earthquake in Taitung caused a building and bridge to collapse and a train to derail on Sunday at 2:44 pm.
At the time of reporting, an elderly couple had been rescued by firefighters from a three-story building that collapsed in Hualien. The building housed a convenience store on the first floor. One employee escaped by himself by breaking through a window. Others are still believed to be trapped in the building.
The quake also brought down the Gaoliao Bridge in Hualien. Three persons whose vehicle fell off the bridge were rescued and taken to the hospital.
A train traveling between Hualien and Taitung was also derailed by the quake. It was hit by debris from the concrete canopy above Hualien’s Dongli station as the train was passing. The fire department said one person was injured.
Taiwan has experienced a series of earthquakes this weekend. The Central Weather Bureau recorded a magnitude 6.4 quake at 9:41 p.m. on Saturday and a magnitude 5.9 tremor at 1:19 p.m. on Sunday.
The United States Geological Survey said that tsunami waves are possible along coastlines within a 300-kilometer radius of the earthquake.