According to the US Geological Survey, a powerful earthquake slammed Taiwan’s southeast coast on Sunday. As a result, Japan issued a tsunami warning and at least one building collapsed in a small hamlet. According to the USGS, the earthquake struck at 2:44 p.m. (06:44 GMT) at a depth of 10 kilometers, roughly 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of Taitung. Its initial magnitude was 7.2, however, the USGS eventually lowered it to a 6.9 earthquake. According to Taiwan’s semi-official Central News Agency, at least one structure collapsed in the town of Yuli.
Residents running towards the collapsed building as it blew up a dense cloud of dust can be seen in the video uploaded by CNA.
An AFP correspondent reported that Taipei’s capital city also experienced shaking.
In this mountainous, thinly populated rural area, there have been numerous tremors since a 6.6 magnitude earthquake struck on Saturday. However, there has only been minor property damage.
But the tremor on Sunday was much more powerful.
A tsunami warning was issued for isolated islands close to Taiwan by the Japanese Meteorological Agency.
Around 4 pm (0700 GMT), waves as high as one metre were predicted to reach.
There were not immediately obvious indications of big waves in live TV footage from the impacted islands.
According to the China Earthquake Network Centre, earthquakes may be felt distinctly in coastal regions like Fujian, Guangdong, Jiangsu, and Shanghai.
Due to its location close to the meeting point of two tectonic plates, Taiwan experiences earthquakes frequently.
The island is located on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a region of extremely active seismic activity that crosses the Pacific Ocean and Southeast Asia.
The 7.6-magnitude earthquake that struck Taiwan in September 1999 and killed over 2,400 people was the country’s deadliest ever.
