The earthquake occurred at 7:58 a.m. morning (Tuesday 23:58 GMT) at a depth of 15.5 km. The epicenter was about 25 km southeast of Hualien in eastern Taiwan, the CWA said. It was followed by several strong aftershocks, including one with a magnitude of 6.5.
According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the magnitude of the earthquake was 7.4. As the BBC wrote, this is the strongest earthquake in Taiwan in 25 years.
Some buildings in Hualien were badly damaged by strong aftershocks, local media reported. The photos show a collapsed high-rise building.
According to witnesses, the tremor was also clearly felt in Taipei.
Several large islands with more than 23 million population, public rail transport was suspended in the cities. High-speed train services were also suspended.
Official Nuclear Safety Commission (NUSC) 8:22 a.m. issued a statement saying that the Manshan nuclear power plant in southern Pingtung County continued to operate normally after the quake.
A small tsunami hit the nearby Japanese islands of Jonaguni, Ishikaki and Miyako in Okinawa Prefecture, the Japan Meteorological Agency said, warning of a possible larger tsunami of up to 3 meters. However, the tsunami threat was canceled a little later.
Taiwan’s National Fire Agency said in a televised national announcement that 26 buildings had “tilted or collapsed” but gave no information on their location. Also, according to her, there are no reports of dead or injured people.
In September 1999, the island of Taiwan, located on the border between the Eurasian plate and the Philippine plate, was struck by a 7.3-magnitude earthquake, killing more than 2,400 people.
