Earthquake in Taiwan Generates Misinformation on Social Media
A recent earthquake in Taiwan sparked the circulation of an old photo on social media that misrepresented the current situation. Authorities confirmed no major damage following the 6.4 magnitude quake.
After a strong earthquake hit Taiwan on January 21, 2025, an old picture of a tilting building resurfaced in social media posts that falsely portrayed it as showing the aftermath. However, authorities reported no major damage after the quake, and the picture was taken following a deadly tremor that rocked Taiwan's Hualien city in April 2024.
"A 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck Taiwan. Twenty-seven people were injured and several homes have been destroyed," read a Thai-language Facebook post on January 21, 2025 that included the misleading picture.
The earthquake was felt in southern Taiwan late at night, recorded at 12:17 a.m. local time. The magnitude was assessed at 6.4 on the Richter scale by the United States Geological Survey.
Similar posts in Thai and Tagalog also shared the image after the US Geological Survey reported a 6.0-magnitude quake in Taiwan, with the epicenter located 12 km north of Yujing, a mango-growing district in southern Taiwan.
According to Taiwan's Central Weather Administration, the initial quake was recorded at magnitude 6.4. The National Fire Agency stated that while several ceilings collapsed and roads were blocked by landslides, "no major damage" occurred from the quake.
A reverse image search revealed the photo was originally published in a report by the French newspaper Le Monde on April 3, 2024, depicting people viewing a damaged building in Hualien after a major earthquake.
This earlier earthquake, a magnitude-7.4 quake, occurred on April 3, 2024, in Hualien City, resulting in at least 17 fatalities and significant building damage. AFP also distributed the original picture, which can be found in their archives.
AFP has actively debunked misinformation related to the recent Taiwan quake.
