A powerful earthquake struck Taiwan amidst tsunami warnings in the island, Japan, and the Philippines, showcasing breathtaking images of streets and bridges shaking. Several widely circulated video clips on Wednesday displayed buildings swaying and collapsing, and towers shaking due to the terrifying quake. The earthquake, which reached over 7 magnitude, occurred in a maritime area near Taiwan early this morning, prompting authorities in the island and in Japan and the Philippines to warn coastal residents about the risk of a tsunami. Taiwanese authorities confirmed that 7 people were killed in the earthquake that hit the country.
This earthquake is noted as the most severe to hit the island in 25 years, according to Wu Shing-Fu, the director of the Taipei Earthquake Center. Wu stated, "The earthquake was close to the coast and shallow. Residents of Taiwan and surrounding islands felt it... it is the strongest since 25 years ago, since the 1999 earthquake that had a magnitude of 7.6 and resulted in 2,400 fatalities."
Simultaneously, Taiwanese authorities issued a tsunami warning for coastal areas, stating in a warning message received by residents on their mobile phones that "the earthquake may lead to a tsunami affecting Taiwan, so coastal residents should exercise caution."
Japan also issued a tsunami warning for islands located in the southwest part of the country. Moreover, the Philippines issued a warning for "high tsunami waves," ordering residents in many coastal regions of the archipelago to evacuate. The National Institute of Seismology advised residents in 23 provinces "to evacuate immediately to high ground or move inland." However, the provinces mentioned in the alert did not include the capital, Manila.
This earthquake occurred under the sea near Taiwan just before 9 a.m. Tokyo time (00:00 UTC), according to the Japanese seismic monitoring agency, which warned of a potential tsunami in the southern islands of the archipelago. Magnitude estimates varied among seismic monitoring agencies. While the Japan Meteorological Agency reported a magnitude of 7.5, the United States Geological Survey rated it at 7.4, while the Taiwanese Meteorological Bureau estimated it at slightly lower, at 7.2.
