A devastating earthquake struck Taiwan on April 3. The earthquake hit around 8:00 a.m. Taipei time. It measured 7.4 on the Richter scale at its epicenter, according to the US Geological Survey. It is the largest earthquake Taiwan has seen in 25 years. Stunning footage of live news programs show anchors not skipping a beat during the violent shaking as particles from the ceiling rain down and studio lights sway dangerously.
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What is particularly impressive is the professionalism they display under such dangerous conditions. I, for one, watched the footage and felt both incredibly impressed and worried about them. While others chose safety first, these anchors chose to remain calm, hold on for dear life, and continue to deliver the news. Check them out!
This was not a mild earthquake.
As mentioned, USGS sent out information saying that the earthquake measured 7.4 on the Richter scale at its epicenter, which was 18 kilometers south southwest of Hualien City, Taiwan.
As you can imagine, many had already started their day.
Some were on the highways when the roads started acting more like waves than concrete. One video shared on X (formerly Twitter) shows cars and a bus having to come to a halt because the road was moving so much it wasn’t safe to drive.
Live morning newscasts were broadcasting at the time.
One newscaster was calmly reporting in front of a screen when the entire studio started to shake around her. Somehow, she managed to stay composed and on her feet while debris from the crumbling ceiling started to rain down on her.
Another news anchor was also caught on camera during the earthquake.
You can see her having to use the screen behind her to keep herself steady, but it does not interfere with her continuing to deliver the news. Even the clanking of the studio lights hitting each other don’t faze her.
Praise for the professionalism shown is mixed with a healthy dose of concern.
“I will give it to that lady for hanging in there and giving the news, they should give her a raise,” wrote one person on X. She should at least get hazard pay for the day because, she really put her safety on the line.
Some questioned the wisdom of being that dedicated.
Shouldn’t there be some safety protocol in place when something like this happens? Perhaps you can politely excuse yourself and go take cover. If you have a mic on, you could still continue to speak to the audience.
And news anchors weren’t the only ones who bravely continued to do their jobs.
Security footage from a hospital shows nurses during the earthquake protecting newborns. These are true heroes. The way they tried to stabilize the babies and keep them safe is beautiful and brave. They put the babies’ safety above their own. Beautiful!
So much destruction was captured on camera.
The rooftop swimming pool on a building turned into a waterfall. The water cascaded down the side of the building, making it look like Niagara Falls. Imagine the force it takes to do something like that.
Buildings collapsed.
Think of all the people that were in buildings that collapsed. So far, nine deaths and at least 900 injured have been reported. I can only imagine that those numbers will go up especially since so many are stuck in rubble.
There have been dozens of aftershocks.
Remember that earthquakes as large as this one are followed by aftershocks that can be quite powerful and cause even more damage to weakened buildings and infrastructure.
