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Taiwan 7.7 magnitude earthquake sparks tsunami warning in Japan | Taiwan 7.7 magnitude earthquake sparks tsunami warning in Japan |
(32 minutes later) | |
Tsunami of up to a metre expected to reach Japan’s southern coast after quake with preliminary magnitude of 7.7 hits near Taipei | |
Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in 25 years has rocked major cities, causing building collapses, power outages and landslides on the island, and sparking a tsunami warning in southern Japan and the Philippines. | |
The quake, given a magnitude of 7.7 by Japan’s meteorological agency, damaged buildings in the city of Hualien, on Taiwan’s eastern coast, with reports of people trapped inside amid continuing aftershocks following the quake, which struck at 7.58am. Videos on social media showed children being rescued from collapsed residential buildings. | |
One five-storey building in Hualien, the worst-hit city, appeared heavily damaged, collapsing its first floor and leaving the rest leaning at a 45-degree angle. Train lines were damaged, and schools and workplaces were closed across large areas of the city. | |
Taiwan’s earthquake monitoring agency gave the magnitude of Wednesday’s quake as 7.2, making it Taiwan’s strongest since 1999, when a 7.7-magnitude quake 93 miles (150 km) south of Taipei killed 2,400 and injured 10,000. | |
The quake caused TSMC, Taiwan’s leading semiconductor manufacturer, that is responsible for the production of most of the world’s advanced semiconductors, to evacuate its production lines, according to Bloomberg News. | |
The head of Taiwan’s earthquake monitoring bureau, Wu Chien-fu, said effects were detected as far away as Kinmen, a Taiwanese-controlled island off the coast of China. Multiple aftershocks were felt in Taipei in the hour after the initial quake. | The head of Taiwan’s earthquake monitoring bureau, Wu Chien-fu, said effects were detected as far away as Kinmen, a Taiwanese-controlled island off the coast of China. Multiple aftershocks were felt in Taipei in the hour after the initial quake. |
Japanese media initially said the quake could trigger waves as high as three metres in some areas of Okinawa prefecture, located roughly 1,600km south of Tokyo, but the forecasts were later downgraded, with waves of up to a metre possible around Okinawa. | |
Broadcaster NHK said an initial tsunami of 30cm had washed ashore on Yonaguni, a remote island just 110km from Taiwan, but warned that higher waves could follow. Waves of 20cm were later observed on the islands of Ishigaki and Miyakojima. | |
The tsunami alert has since been downgraded to an advisory. However, an official from Japan’s meteorological agency urged people to continue evacuating until the advisory was lifted. Some residents of the main Okinawa island had evacuated to a nearby US military base, media reports said, while footage showed others watching the sea from the safety of high ground in the prefectural capital, Naha. | |
The agency has warned that aftershocks, with a similar intensity to those felt in Taiwan, may be likely over the next week. | |
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) initially said the quake had a magnitude of 7.4, with its epicentre 18km (11 miles) south of Taiwan’s Hualien city at a depth of 34.8km. Taiwan’s earthquake monitoring agency initially gave the magnitude as 7.2. Japan’s meteorological agency later upgraded the quake to magnitude 7.7, at a shallow depth of 20km. | The United States Geological Survey (USGS) initially said the quake had a magnitude of 7.4, with its epicentre 18km (11 miles) south of Taiwan’s Hualien city at a depth of 34.8km. Taiwan’s earthquake monitoring agency initially gave the magnitude as 7.2. Japan’s meteorological agency later upgraded the quake to magnitude 7.7, at a shallow depth of 20km. |
The Philippines’ seismology agency on Wednesday issued a tsunami warning for coastal areas fronting the Pacific Ocean, saying they were expected to experience “high tsunami waves”. People in the coastal areas in several provinces were advised to immediately evacuate to higher grounds or move further inland. | The Philippines’ seismology agency on Wednesday issued a tsunami warning for coastal areas fronting the Pacific Ocean, saying they were expected to experience “high tsunami waves”. People in the coastal areas in several provinces were advised to immediately evacuate to higher grounds or move further inland. |
“Owners of boats in harbours, estuaries or shallow coastal water of the above-mentioned provinces should secure their boats and move away from the waterfront,” it said in a statement. “Boats already at sea during this period should stay offshore in deep waters until further advised.” | “Owners of boats in harbours, estuaries or shallow coastal water of the above-mentioned provinces should secure their boats and move away from the waterfront,” it said in a statement. “Boats already at sea during this period should stay offshore in deep waters until further advised.” |
It has only been three months since a magnitude-7.6 quake and tsunami killed 244 people and caused widespread damage on the Noto peninsula in Ishikawa prefecture on the Japan Sea coast. | It has only been three months since a magnitude-7.6 quake and tsunami killed 244 people and caused widespread damage on the Noto peninsula in Ishikawa prefecture on the Japan Sea coast. |
Japan’s biggest earthquake on record was a massive 9.0-magnitude undersea jolt in March 2011 off Japan’s northeast coast, which triggered a tsunami that left around 18,500 people dead or missing. | Japan’s biggest earthquake on record was a massive 9.0-magnitude undersea jolt in March 2011 off Japan’s northeast coast, which triggered a tsunami that left around 18,500 people dead or missing. |
This is a breaking story and we will bring you more as it develops. | This is a breaking story and we will bring you more as it develops. |