According to the US Geological Survey, a powerful earthquake hit Taiwan’s southeastern coast on Sunday, causing at least one building in a small town to collapse and forcing Japan to issue a tsunami warning.
The quake struck around 2:44 p.m. (0644 GMT) about 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of Taitung at a depth of 10 kilometres, according to the USGS.
The initial magnitude was given as 7.2, however the USGS later lowered it to 6.9 magnitude. According to Taiwan’s semi-official Central News Agency, at least one structure collapsed in the town of Yuli.
Video by a new agency showed scared people running towards the building, which had crumbled in on itself and emitted a dense cloud of dust. Shaking was also felt in the capital Taipei, a reporter said.
On Saturday, a 6.6 magnitude earthquake struck the same area, causing many tremors but causing little damage in this mountainous, thinly populated rural area. However, the quake on Sunday was much stronger.
The Meteorological Agency of Japan issued a tsunami warning for isolated islands near Taiwan. Waves as high to one metre were forecast to reach about 4 p.m. (0700 GMT).
High waves were not immediately seen in live TV footage from the damaged islands. Tremors were definitely felt in coastal locations including Fujian, Guangdong, Jiangsu, and Shanghai, according to the China Earthquake Network Centre.
Because Taiwan is located near the meeting point of two tectonic plates, earthquakes occur on a regular basis. The island is located on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of strong seismic activity that spans Southeast Asia and the Pacific basin.
The deadliest earthquake in Taiwan’s history was a 7.6-magnitude jolt in September 1999, which killed nearly 2,400 people.
