Singaporeans will never have to worry about earthquakes as we are geographically protected by our neighbours.
However, other countries are not as fortunate.
A 6.1 magnitude earthquake shook Taiwan on Thursday (18 Apr) causing buildings to shake and leading authorities to suspend Taipei subways.
The highest recorded earthquake for Taiwan in 2018 was 6.4 which is 0.3 higher than the current 6.1.
Even though the quake seems to be slightly less serious, the effects were still felt across Taiwan.
A video shows buildings swaying mildly.
Another video shows that the subway has also ceased all operations.
Several media outlets also reported large cracks in the road in Xinyi district.
Currently, the depth of the earthquake is measured at 20km. The depth of an earthquake determines how severe an earthquake is — the shallower it is, the more dangerous.
At 20km, it can be defined as shallow, making it considerably dangerous.
In 2018, Taiwan experienced an earthquake in Hualien.
At 6.4 magnitude, it injured over 250 people and killed 17 people. It was more serious as the epicenter was a lot closer to shore.
The 2018 earthquake didn’t just shake buildings, it toppled them.
Whenever you hear of earthquakes, there will almost always be mention of something called the Richter scale.
The Richter scale classifies the severity of an earthquake. At 6.1 magnitude, the U.S. Geological Survey considers it “strong”.
The energy released in relation to explosives can be compared to Hiroshima’s atomic bomb at around 60 million kg of explosives.
Of course, it’s not exactly like a Hiroshima Bomb exploding in your neighbourhood. Since the earthquake epicenter is underground or in the ocean, the overall impact is reduced.
Thanks to quick responses to the earthquake, there are no immediate reports of casualties.
President Tsai Ing-wen posted on her Facebook page urging officials react to any damages or injuries immediately if spotted.
Hopefully, as authorities try to gather information about affected parties, casualties remain at 0.
Singaporeans who have made plans to visit Taipei in the near future may want to check if there are any reports of your destinations being affected.
Featured image from USGS.gov and Instagram.
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