CNN
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A major earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 struck off Taiwan’s eastern coast Wednesday, according to the US Geological Survey, prompting tsunami warnings for the island and southern Japan.
The quake’s epicenter is located about 18 kilometers (11 miles) south of the city of Hualien. Tremors were felt across the island, including by CNN staff in Taipei.
Reports of preliminary damage have emerged, with tilted houses in Hualien County, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said.
Military personnel have been dispatched to help with disaster relief and schools and workplaces have suspended operations as aftershocks hit the island.
Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration issued a tsunami warning following the quake. A CWA alert advised residents to evacuate to higher ground as a tsunami was expected to impact the island’s northern coastal area.
The Japan Meteorological Agency also issued a tsunami alert for Miyakojima and Okinawa islands, warning of waves up to 3 meters (nearly 10 feet) high. A 30-centimeter (nearly 1 foot) wave impacted Okinawa, the agency said.
The earthquake is the strongest to hit Taiwan in 25 years, according to a spokesperson from the Central Weather Administration. In 1999, a 7.7 magnitude quake hit 93 miles (150 kilometers) south of Taipei, killing 2,400 people and injuring 10,000 others.
Taiwan is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, which runs around the edge of the Pacific Ocean and causes massive seismic and volcanic activity from Indonesia to Chile.
The island is regularly rocked by earthquakes. A magnitude 6.2 quake hit near Hualien in 2018, killing at least 17 people and injuring more than 300 others.
Hualien County is home to about 300,000 people and close to Taroko Gorge, a popular tourist destination.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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