Tourist stays calm as swimming pool makes big waves during Taiwan quake

A video posted on social media showed the moment the swimming pool was rocked on the rooftop of the Regent Taipei Hotel in Taipei City, around 180 kilometers from the city of Hualien where the 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck.

Tremors caused the water to splash strongly, but the tourist remained standing in the middle of the swimming pool and didn't make any attempt to reach the poolside, while his friend recorded the video.

An online user commented on the video, saying "that's insane."

Another wrote "Fair play to him for staying calm and riding the waves like that."

According to Taiwan News, due to aftershocks from the quake, the pool is currently closed, and the hotel said that all guests and employees are safe.

At least nine people were killed, more than 1,000 injured, 143 people are still trapped and dozens of buildings were damaged by the earthquake. The deaths were all in Hualien, the most severely affected area.

It was the largest earthquake in Taiwan in the past 25 years, since the 7.6-magnitude one that killed 2,400 people and collapsed 50,000 houses in 1999.

Officials warned that there would be more tremors in the coming weeks.

A video shared by Aajiz Gayoor X account shows a tourist standing in the middle of rooftop swimming pool in Taiwan during an earthquake on April 3, 2024.

Visuals of a Swimming Pool when the 7.4 earthquake hit Taiwan. #earthquake #Taiwan #Tsunami pic.twitter.com/YsBgfO9e2g

— Aajiz Gayoor (@AajizGayoor) April 3, 2024