A 7.4-magnitude earthquake strikes an area near Taiwan, shaking the island and triggering tsunami warnings

A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck off eastern Taiwan on Wednesday morning local time, sparking tsunami warnings.

The quake occurred about 11 miles from Hualien City, Taiwan, according to the USGS, shaking the entire island and collapsing buildings. It was followed by a 6.5 magnitude earthquake.

The Tsunami Warning System in the United States issued a warning of the possibility of dangerous tsunami waves for coasts within 300 kilometers (about 186 miles) of the epicenter, saying that China, Taiwan and Japan may be affected.

Japan also issued a tsunami warning for the Okinawa island group in southern Japan, and the Japan Meteorological Agency expected a tsunami of up to three meters high. About half an hour later, she said it was believed that the first wave of the tsunami had already reached the coasts of Miyako and Yaeyama islands.

The Japan Meteorological Agency later lowered its forecast to 1 meter (3.3 feet). Waves on one island were about 30 cm (feet) high, while smaller waves were detected on other islands. Smaller waves were measured at Ishigaki and Miyako Islands. Japan sent military aircraft to collect impact information around the Okinawa area.

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 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck Taiwan, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the threat of a tsunami had largely passed.

A five-story building in the sparsely populated city of Hualien appeared severely damaged, causing the first floor to collapse and leaving the rest leaning at a 45-degree angle. In the capital, Taipei, tiles fell from older buildings and inside some newer office complexes. Schools evacuated their students to sports fields and provided them with yellow protective headgear. Many young children also wore motorcycle helmets for protection from falling objects amid the ongoing aftershocks.

There have been no reports yet of casualties in Hualien City, where a deadly earthquake in 2018 led to the collapse of a historic hotel and other buildings.

Train service was suspended across the island of 23 million people, as was subway service in Taipei, where a newly constructed above-ground line was partially disconnected. The National Legislature, a converted school before World War II, also suffered damage to walls and ceilings.

Traffic along the eastern coast was virtually halted, as landslides and falling debris hit tunnels and highways in the mountainous region. This caused damage to vehicles, although it was not clear if anyone was hurt.

Although the quake occurred at the height of the morning rush hour, just before 8 a.m., the initial panic quickly faded on the island, which is regularly rocked by earthquakes and prepares for them through drills in schools and issuing notices through public media and mobile phones.

The head of Taiwan's Earthquake Monitoring Bureau, Wu Chien-fu, said traces had been discovered as far away as Kinmen, a Taiwan-controlled island off the coast of China. Residents of Taipei felt several aftershocks in the hour following the initial quake.

Chinese media reported that residents of Shanghai and several provinces along the southeastern coast of China felt the earthquake. China and Taiwan are about 160 kilometers (100 miles) apart. China has not issued any tsunami warnings for the Chinese mainland.

Residents of China's Fujian province reported violent tremors, according to the Jimu News website. One of the men told Jimmo that the shaking woke him up and lasted for about a minute.

In the Philippines, residents along the northern coast were told to evacuate to higher ground, but no major tsunami was reported about three hours after the quake.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the tsunami warning has been lifted in Batanes, Cagayan, Ilocos Norte and Isabela provinces.

The worst earthquake to hit Taiwan in recent years occurred on September 21, 1999, with a magnitude of 7.7, killing 2,400 people, injuring about 100,000, and destroying thousands of buildings. Taiwan lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” the seismic fault line surrounding the Pacific Ocean where most of the world's earthquakes occur.

This is a breaking news update. Please check back for developments.

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