Amid the dramatic events occurring in our region, news from around the world often goes unnoticed. However, there are lessons to be learned from some of them. On Wednesday, April 3 at 7:58 a.m. (local time), a powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck Taiwan. The earthquake’s epicenter was on the eastern side of the island, along the coastline, at a depth of 35 km. Since the initial earthquake, there have been 29 aftershocks with a magnitude above 4. The earthquake resulted in 9 deaths, over 900 injured, 71 miners trapped in a mine, 50 people missing, and over 100 buildings damaged. Some isolated mountainous villages have yet to be reached, so the number of victims is likely to increase.
However, considering the strength of the earthquake, the damage is relatively minimal. It’s due to several factors: 1) The earthquake occurred on the less-populated eastern side of the island; 2) The earthquake struck at 8 am, when people had already left home but hadn’t yet arrived at their workplaces or schools; 3) Taiwan is well-prepared for earthquakes. Over the past 50 years, Taiwan has experienced 7 earthquakes with a magnitude above 7. The most devastating earthquake occurred in 1999 and killed 2,264 people.
Earthquakes with a magnitude above 7 have occurred in our region in the past and will occur again in the future. We’ve been reiterating the same message for many years: “A strong and destructive earthquake in Israel is not a question of if, but a question of when.” We can learn a lot from the people of Taiwan, whose level of earthquake preparedness exceeds our own. It’s essential that we prepare for the next earthquake, as even wars, such as the one that began on October 7, don’t delay earthquakes.
Amid the dramatic events occurring in our region, news from around the world often goes unnoticed. However, there are lessons to be learned from some of them. On Wednesday, April 3 at 7:58 a.m. (local time), a powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck Taiwan. The earthquake’s epicenter was on the eastern side of the island, along the coastline, at a depth of 35 km. Since the initial earthquake, there have been 29 aftershocks with a magnitude above 4. The earthquake resulted in 9 deaths, over 900 injured, 71 miners trapped in a mine, 50 people missing, and over 100 buildings damaged. Some isolated mountainous villages have yet to be reached, so the number of victims is likely to increase.
However, considering the strength of the earthquake, the damage is relatively minimal. It’s due to several factors: 1) The earthquake occurred on the less-populated eastern side of the island; 2) The earthquake struck at 8 am, when people had already left home but hadn’t yet arrived at their workplaces or schools; 3) Taiwan is well-prepared for earthquakes. Over the past 50 years, Taiwan has experienced 7 earthquakes with a magnitude above 7. The most devastating earthquake occurred in 1999 and killed 2,264 people.
Earthquakes with a magnitude above 7 have occurred in our region in the past and will occur again in the future. We’ve been reiterating the same message for many years: “A strong and destructive earthquake in Israel is not a question of if, but a question of when.” We can learn a lot from the people of Taiwan, whose level of earthquake preparedness exceeds our own. It’s essential that we prepare for the next earthquake, as even wars, such as the one that began on October 7, don’t delay earthquakes.