Taiwan rocked by biggest earthquake in 25 years as tsunami wave warnings issued

Taiwan rocked by biggest earthquake in 25 years with nine confirmed dead

Island nation along the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’ is jolted by 7.2 magnitude tremor

The Independent

Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines issue tsunami warnings after 7.2-magnitude quake.

At least four people were killed and over 50 injured in Taiwan‘s biggest earthquake in more than two decades, prompting authorities across the region to issue tsunami warnings.

Taiwan’s monitoring agency measured the earthquake at magnitude 7.2, while the US Geological Survey put it at 7.4. It struck at 7.58am local time, about 18km south-southwest of Hualien city at a depth of 35km.

Videos showed people experiencing violent shaking across Taiwan and there appears to be extensive damage to buildings and infrastructure. Multiple buildings in Hualien, a relatively sparsely populated city that’s popular with tourists, appeared heavily damaged, with photographs showing nine-storey buildings leaning at a 45-degree angle.

The effects of the earthquake were felt on mainland China and as far away as Taiwanese-controlled islands off the coast of China, said Wu Chien-fu, the head of Taiwan’s earthquake monitoring bureau.

Multiple aftershocks, one measuring 6.5 magnitude near Hualien, were also felt in the capital Taipei, the weather agency said.

Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines have issued tsunami warnings, with waves as high as three metres initially expected to slam the remote Japanese island group of Okinawa.

Authorities in Taiwan issued warnings through text messages to “remind people in coastal areas to be vigilant and take strict precautions and pay attention to the dangers caused by sudden surges in waves”.

Japan’s Self Defence Force has sent planes to the area to gather information about the tsunami impact around the Okinawa region, and said it was preparing shelters for evacuation, if necessary.

Japan later downgraded the tsunami advisory, reducing the height of waves expected to one metre. The first tsunami waves of at least 30 centimetres arrived at Yonaguni Island at 9.18 am local time, authorities said…