A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Taiwan on Wednesday morning, prompting tsunami alerts for the island, southern Japan, and the Philippines.
The quake occurred shortly before 8:00 am local time, with its epicenter located 18 kilometers south of Taiwan's Hualien City, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), at a depth of 34.8 km.
Japan's Meteorological Agency issued tsunami warnings, forecasting waves up to three meters high for remote Japanese islands, including Miyakojima island. In response, Taiwanese authorities sent out tsunami alerts via text messages to coastal residents, urging them to be cautious of sudden surges in waves.
The earthquake was widely felt across Taiwan, with reports of strong shaking from AFP reporters across the island. Taipei also experienced aftershocks, including a 6.5-magnitude earthquake near Hualien, according to Taipei's weather agency. Although the metro briefly halted operations, it resumed within an hour, while residents were advised by local authorities to check for gas leaks.
Officials noted that this earthquake was the strongest felt in Taiwan in decades, with the director of Taipei's Central Weather Administration's Seismology Center stating it was the most powerful since the 1999 earthquake.
Given Taiwan's location near tectonic plate junctions, earthquakes are frequent in the region. The Philippines also issued tsunami warnings, while in Japan, national broadcaster NHK urged coastal residents to evacuate immediately. The severity of tsunamis and earthquakes in the area varies depending on factors such as the depth and location of the epicenter.
Notably, Japan's worst earthquake in 2011 triggered a devastating tsunami, causing thousands of casualties and leading to the Fukushima nuclear disaster. This latest earthquake serves as a reminder of the seismic risks in the region.
