How prepared is Taiwan for earthquakes?

A 7.2 magnitude earthquake centered off Taiwan's eastern coast on Wednesday morning was widely felt throughout the island and was followed by over 100 aftershocks throughout the day. 

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The tremor was Taiwan's strongest since a 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck the central part of the island in 1999.  

It caused over 2,000 fatalities, around 11,300 injuries and the complete collapse of more than 51,000 buildings.

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In severe earthquakes, the collapse of buildings is usually the main cause of casualties and injuries. Since the 921 tremor, newly constructed buildings in Taiwan have become "increasingly earthquake-resistant," Ou told DW.

Improvements were made in designing buildings to withstand stronger earthquakes, including incorporating more elasticity in buildings.

"When designing buildings, we typically assume a certain seismic intensity. Now, we've elevated that scale to enable the structures to withstand stronger earthquakes," Ou said.

"Elasticity means that even if an earthquake exceeds the structure's capacity, the building may sway, sustain damage and develop cracks, but it's less likely to collapse," he added.

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