With casualties still being counted in real-time, The New York Times reported around 9 a.m. EDT that "at least nine people" were killed, with 800-plus injured and "dozens" trapped. This marks the strongest earthquake to hit Taiwan, the island in the Pacific Ocean between Japan and the Philippines, in 25 years.
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View this post on XAftershocks continue to rattle nerves in the region, but earlier tsunami warnings for Taiwan and parts of Japan were called off. Several airports in Japan that had been temporarily closed have now resumed operations.
The eastern coast of the island was most heavily affected, including in Taroko National Park in Hualien County, though people and buildings throughout the country felt the quake, including on the other side of the island, where a building collapsed in Changhua County, per the newspaper.
Minimal damage has been recorded in the capital city of Taipei, where normal operations continued at Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) as of 10:30 a.m. EDT. The only visible impact on air travel thus far has been a notice from TPE regarding the temporary closure of its "In-Town-Check-in Service."
Additionally, there had been no reported delays or cancellations at TPE recorded by Flight Aware as of 10:16 a.m. EDT.
The largest disruption to travel appears to affect the Taiwan Railway system, which spans the country from east to west. At the time of publication, the eastern line remained closed, according to The New York Times, and is expected to reopen Thursday. There was no status update on operations from the railway itself.
This story will continue to be updated should travel to the island be further affected.
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