7.4 magnitude earthquake hits Taiwan, causing Tsunami in Japan

An earthquake measuring 7.4 on the Richter scale struck Taiwan on Wednesday, triggering a tsunami in Japan’s Yonaguni Island.The strong earthquake toppled buildings in Taiwan’s Hualien city, while train services were suspended across the country.

While the US Geological Survey (USGS) said the temblor’s magnitude was 7.4, Taiwan’s earthquake monitoring agency said it measured 7.2 on the Richter scale.

The strong earthquake struck at 7.58 am, about 18 km south-southwest of Hualien and was about 35 km deep.

A five-storey building in Hualien partially collapsed to the first floor, leaving the building tilted at a 45-degree angle.

Videos have emerged on social media of the tilted building.

Meanwhile, train services were also suspended across Taiwan and in the capital Taipei, there were reports of tiles falling from buildings, the Associated Press reported.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or casualties.

In Japan, authorities said a tsunami wave measuring about 1 foot was detected on Yonaguni Island about 15 minutes after the earthquake struck Taiwan.

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said a tsunami warning was in place for residents of the coastal areas of Okinawa prefecture and warned that tsunami waves of up to 3 metres were expected to reach the country’s southwestern coast.

Japan’s Self-Defense Force has scrambled aircraft to monitor the impact of the tsunami and was also preparing evacuation shelters.