Taiwan earthquake live updates: Buildings collapse after strongest earthquake in 25 years; Japan lifts tsunami warnings Taiwan

Japan lifts all tsunami warnings

The latest just came in – Japan lifted all tsunami warnings after the earthquake, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

It was reported earlier that Japan had lowered its forecast and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi urged residents in the Okinawa area to remain in a safe area until all tsunami warnings were lifted.

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Damage and debris can be seen at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall complex in Taipei, a national monument and tourist attraction:

A barrier is erected around the wreckage at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei. Photography: CNA/AFP/Getty Images Share

Guardian correspondent Gregor Hunter reports on the latest news from Taipei:

Damage was visible in some buildings in central Taipei on Wednesday morning, such as those outside the Howard Plaza Hotel, where the quake damaged the brickwork on the exterior and dislodged some of the lettering on the hotel's sign.

Mike Hong Hsu, a hotel guest, said he woke up to the sound of the earthquake while visiting Taiwan from the United States.

“I've never felt this type of earthquake in Los Angeles, even though we get earthquakes quite often,” he said.

“I used to live in Taiwan, and in my memory we have never had an earthquake like this one.”

He said his family canceled a planned tourist trip to Yilan County, near the city of Hualien on the island's east coast, as there was no way to travel by public transportation.

Rescue workers search for survivors trapped in a damaged building in New Taipei City. Photography: CNA/AFP/Getty Images Share

Our correspondent in Taiwan, Chi Hui-lin, sent us this translated notice that Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen posted on her Facebook page detailing the country's response to the disaster:

A central disaster response center has been set up and different ministries are reporting the situation in different places, so please pay attention to the different information issued by officials at any time, and please carefully check any earthquake-related news.

I would also like to remind everyone that some trains on Taiwan High Speed ​​Rail (THSR) have been delayed. For those who are commuting, please pay attention to the operation status of the MRT and Taiwan Railways in different places.

In addition, there were a number of aftershocks this morning, and I would like to remind everyone not to take the elevator for the time being, and pay more attention to safety.

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Our latest video report on the Taiwan earthquake:

Buildings collapsed and people were rescued after a strong earthquake struck Taiwan – video Share

As we continue to get updates on what's happening in the city of Hualien, which is close to the epicenter, our reporter Gregor Hunter paints a picture of what the city looks like in normal times:

Hualien is a charming beach town nestled between Taiwan's mountain ranges on the east coast of the island.

It regularly attracts tourists from elsewhere on the island due to the stunning natural beauty of its surrounding landscape, including nearby Taroko Gorge National Park, and also hosts a wealth of Taiwanese indigenous culture nestled alongside backpacker hostels and surf shops.

The city's location on the windswept east coast offers it little shelter behind the mountain range that protects the rest of Taiwan from typhoons from the Pacific.

There are only a few road and rail links and the high-speed rail service connecting cities along the island's more industrialized west coast is non-stop, although coastal highways make it a favorite for cyclists.

The city also has a major air base, where Taiwanese F-16 fighter jets regularly scramble to intercept Chinese airstrikes.

The last major earthquake in Hualien City occurred in 2022, when a 6.9-magnitude earthquake destroyed buildings and derailed a train, killing one person and cutting off power to thousands of residents.

Share26 Buildings reported to 'lean or collapse'

A fire department official in Hualien County – close to the epicenter – told AFP that “two buildings collapsed and some people are believed to be trapped.”

In a nationally televised news conference, Taiwan's National Fire Agency said 26 buildings had reported “leaning or collapsing,” but did not provide details on the location of the buildings.

SharePhilippines cancels tsunami warning Rebecca Ratcliffe

The Philippine Seismological Agency canceled its tsunami warning, saying: “Based on available data of our sea level monitoring stations facing the central area, no major sea level disturbances have been recorded since 07:58 a.m. until this cancellation.”

It added that “any impacts from the tsunami warning have largely passed” and that the agency has canceled all tsunami warnings issued for the event.

ShareKey Points

Here are some key points about what we know so far about the Taiwan earthquake:

The earthquake occurred at 7:58 a.m. local time, about 18 kilometers southwest of Hualien City.

Its depth was about 35 kilometers (21 miles), according to the Associated Press

Japan estimated the magnitude of the earthquake at 7.7

Tsunami warnings and warnings have been issued – but the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the threat from the Taiwan earthquake “has now passed”.

ShareJapan lifts all tsunami warnings

The latest just came in – Japan lifted all tsunami warnings after the earthquake, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

Earlier, it was reported that Japan lowered its forecast and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi urged residents in the Okinawa area to remain in a safe area until all tsunami warnings are lifted.

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Let's get the latest on what we know about tsunami advisories and warnings – most of which appear to be out of date.

The Japan Meteorological Agency lowered its tsunami forecast from 3 meters (9.8 feet) to 1 meter (3.3 feet).

One island experienced a wave about 30 centimeters (feet) high, while smaller waves were detected on other islands, the Associated Press reported.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said that there were no reports of injuries or damage in Japan.

He urged residents in the Okinawa area to remain in safe places until all tsunami warnings are lifted.

China did not issue any warnings to the Chinese mainland, and there was no threat to Hawaii and Guam.

More than two hours after the earthquake struck Taiwan, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the threat of a tsunami had largely passed.

Share Reports of one person killed and 50 injured – Taiwan Fire Department

We've got the first casualty numbers. Reuters news agency reported that one person died and more than 50 people were injured after the quake – according to the Taiwan Fire Department.

We'll bring you more when we get it.

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Another photo to come, this time of a landslide from Xiolin, off the east coast of Taiwan:

View of the landslide after the earthquake in Xiulin, Taiwan. Photography: totolovet/totolovetg/Reuters Share

The Guardian's Chi Hui Lin sent us more about the aftermath of the accident from people in Hualien. The epicenter of the earthquake was reported 25 kilometers southeast of the city.

A hotel in Hualien City told me that people in Hualien know that sometimes there will be big earthquakes, so the items in the house are repaired.

They did not run out immediately when the earthquake occurred, but rather waited for it to decrease in size before exiting to avoid falling. There was minor damage to her hotel, with only a few items falling.

Another rafting shop in Hualien City told me that the people of Hualien City experienced many earthquakes, and when this earthquake happened, they knew it was a big earthquake, so they hurried out.

He said many buildings in Hualien are now evacuating their residents.

He was driving near the mountains when the earthquake happened, and there were a lot of falling rocks.

When he was talking to me, the sound of ambulances passing by was in the background.

The SharePacific Tsunami Warning Center says the threat has passed

The threat of a tsunami caused by the quake has now passed, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

The center's website contains a post saying “there is no tsunami warning, warning, monitoring or threat” about the Taiwan earthquake.

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Some of the latest images coming from the earthquake that struck Taiwan:

View from behind a window as debris falls from a building in New Taipei City. Photograph: Wang/Reuters A destroyed apartment after the earthquake in New Taipei City. Photograph: Fabian Hamacher/Reuters Japan's tsunami warning level has been downgraded to advisory level Justin Macari

The tsunami waves that arrived late in the morning were not as high as expected, and the warning level was downgraded to warning.

But an official from the Japan Meteorological Agency urged people to continue evacuating until the warning is lifted.

Public Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) said some residents of the main island of Okinawa were evacuated to a nearby US military base, while footage showed others monitoring the sea from safe high ground in the prefectural capital, Naha.

Share87,000 in Taiwan without electricity

Taiwanese electricity company Taipower said more than 87,000 people across the country are now without power, according to Reuters news agency.

We heard earlier that 10,000 families were without electricity and it was reported that restoration operations are currently underway.

Aftershocks were reported in Taipei

Reuters reported that buildings in Taipei continued to shake after the aftershock.

Meanwhile, the Japan Meteorological Agency warned people to be vigilant in anticipation of aftershocks of the same intensity for about a week.

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