Taiwan earthquake with 7.4 magnitude is strongest in 25 years

A damaged building in Hualien, after a major earthquake hit Taiwan’s east, on April 3. CNA/AFP/Getty ImagesTaiwan is a self-ruled democracy of about 23 million people, the vast majority of whom live in the capital Taipei and the cities that dot the heavily industrialized western coast. Taipei has around 2.5 million inhabitants while the wider New Taipei City is home to a further 4 million people. The southern port city of Kaohsiung has 2.7 million residents. In contrast, the eastern coast — where Wednesday’s quake struck — is much less populated. The island is regularly rocked by…