Believed to be the second strongest earthquake to hit the island, the 7.4 magnitude tremor damaged, if not tilted, dozens of buildings. The earthquake happened at 8 am on April 3.

“The earthquake is close to land and it’s shallow. It was felt all over Taiwan and offshore islands,:” said Wu Chien-fu, director of Taipei’s Central Weather Administration’s Seismology Center.

Observes noted that deaths and injuries would have been more catastrophic had the government not imposed strict building regulations and launched public disaster awareness among the people.

Among those killed were three still unidentified persons who were taking an early-morning hike in the hills but were crushed by boulders that came rolling down.

It was also reported that drivers of a truck and a car met their deaths inside their respective vehicles that were crushed by the boulders.

All nine deaths were reported in Hualien City which is just 18 kilometers from the epicenter of the earthquake.

Tsunami warnings were quickly issued by Taiwan, Japan and Philippine authorities but all declared the tsunami threat to have “largely passed” two hours after the earthquake.

The island’s Central Emergency Command Center immediately sent crews to avert damage to human lives.

Taiwans Central Weather Administration placed the earthquake’s epicenter to about 18 kilometers south of crowded Hualien City.

Multiple aftershocks followed the main quake but the TCWA reported that at least one was measured at 6.5 magnitude.

As of 10:30 am Thursday, Taiwan reported that the tsunami threat has lapsed.

According to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center the danger of tsunami that also threatened Japan and Philippines has passed two hours after the earthquake struck.

Train and subway services were temporarily stopped as experts assessed the rails for possible damage that could endanger passengers.

The earthquake hit Taiwan during rush hour at 7:58 am on Wdnesday,

Despite the unprecedented strength, panic was not observed among the people rushing to work or school.

According to experts, before April 3, Taiwan’s strongest earthquake hit the island on Sept. , 1999 at magnitude 7.6. An estimated 2,400 people perished while 100,000 were injured.