TAIPEI, Taiwan — A strong earthquake shook the entire island of Taiwan on Wednesday, causing buildings to collapse in a southern city and triggering a tsunami that reached southern Japanese islands.
Television footage showed buildings in the eastern city of Hualien being violently shaken. Train and subway services were suspended across the island. The earthquake hit at 7:58 a.m. on the opposite side of the island from the capital but was strong enough to dislodge items from shelves in the city.
Taiwan’s earthquake monitoring agency reported the magnitude as 7.2, while the U.S. Geological Survey measured it at 7.5. The depth was approximately 21 miles.
MAP: Epicenter of 7.5-magnitude earthquake near Taiwan pic.twitter.com/V6ADkDJIZ7
— BNO News (@BNONews) April 3, 2024
The Japan Meteorological Agency predicted a tsunami of up to 9.8 feet for the southern Japanese island group of Okinawa. A 1-foot wave was observed on the coast of Yonaguni island about 15 minutes after the quake. JAMA stated that waves likely struck the coasts of Miyako and Yaeyama islands as well.
????#BREAKING: Multiple buildings have collapsed after a Pair of Massive 7.5 Earthquakes Strikes Triggering Tsunami Warnings
Currently, a pair of powerful, massive earthquakes has just occurred. The first one measured a magnitude of 7.5, followed by a 7.4… pic.twitter.com/XCKd7ocjel
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) April 3, 2024
