Enlarge image
A house on the island of Hualien has fallen into disarray after a severe earthquake
Photo: AP
Severe earthquakes have caused damage to numerous buildings in Taiwan. Photos show how a multi-story house on Hualien Island collapsed. Taiwanese and Japanese authorities issued tsunami warnings following the tremors on Wednesday morning.
Taiwan's meteorological agency recorded a magnitude 7.2 quake on the southeastern coast of Hualien Island at a depth of 15.5 kilometers. The United States Earthquake Observatory (USGS) reported a magnitude of 7.4 in the area.
According to eyewitnesses, the quake was also felt in the Taiwanese capital Taipei and in various cities in mainland China, including Shanghai.
According to the Taipei city government, there are no reports of damage in the city. Rail traffic is back in operation after a short interruption.
In Japan, the tremor off Taiwan triggered a warning of a three-meter-high tsunami for nearby islands in Okinawa Prefecture, southwestern Japan. Residents of the affected islands were called upon to seek safety.
According to Taiwan's official news agency, the quake was the strongest on the island since 1999, when a magnitude 7.6 quake killed around 2,400 people. Taiwan lies in an earthquake-prone zone on the border of the Eurasian plate and the Philippine Sea plate.