Earthquake shakes Taiwan, damaging buildings and causing a tsunami
A powerful earthquake rocked the entire island of Taiwan early Wednesday, collapsing buildings in a southern city and creating a tsunami that washed ashore on southern Japanese islands.
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A powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck the island of Taiwan on Wednesday morning, the US Geological Survey announced, prompting nearby Japan to issue an evacuation advisory for coastal areas.
The quake hit shortly before 8 am local time, according to Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration. The quake’s epicenter was located about 11 miles south of the coastal city of Hualien, about 96 miles southeast of Taipei.
The USGS recorded several aftershocks in the same region, including one with a magnitude of 6.5. Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration gave the quake a magnitude of 7.2 while the USGS recorded it at 7.4 with a depth of about 22 miles.
The strong quake rocked Taipei, knocking out power in several parts of the city. Footage from Taiwan television stations showed some collapsed buildings in Hualien and media reported that some residents were trapped.
The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning for the Miyakojima and Okinawa islands. An evacuation advisory was also issued for the coastal areas of Okinawa.
The agency warned that tsunami waves of up to three meters were expected in Japan’s southwestern coast. At 9:18 am, a one-foot tsunami reached Yonaguni Island, according to the agency.
The quake also prompted the Philippines Seismology Agency to warn coastal area residents, advising them to evacuate to higher ground.
Chinese state media reported that the quake was felt in several cities in the Fujian province, a coastal province in southeastern China. The Taipei city government said there were no immediate reports of damage and the city’s metro system was up and running soon after.
The quake was the largest to hit the island since 1999 when a 7.6 magnitude tremor killed around 2,400 people, according to Taiwan’s official central news agency.
Contributing: Reuters
