7.4 magnitude earthquake hits Taiwan, tsunami warning issued

Suzanne Bates
·1 min read
In this image taken from a video footage run by TVBS, a partially collapsed building is seen in Hualien, eastern Taiwan on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. A powerful earthquake rocked the entire island of Taiwan early Wednesday, collapsing buildings in a city and creating a tsunami that washed ashore on Japanese islands.
In this image taken from a video footage run by TVBS, a partially collapsed building is seen in Hualien, eastern Taiwan on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. A powerful earthquake rocked the entire island of Taiwan early Wednesday, collapsing buildings in a city and creating a tsunami that washed ashore on Japanese islands.

A 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit Taiwan early Wednesday morning, local time, causing damage and triggering a tsunami warning.

The epicenter of the earthquake was 11 miles south of Hualien, a city on the east coast of the island. Images shared by local media showed several buildings had tilted due to the quake. Strong tremors were also felt in Taipei, as were multiple aftershocks that registered as high as 6.5.

Tsunami warnings were issued in Taiwan and several other Pacific coast areas, including in Japan and the Philippines.

Power and internet outages were reported in several areas in Taiwan, in addition to reports of rail disruptions, according to The New York Times.

CNN reported the earthquake was the strongest to hit the island in 25 years. In 1999, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit the country, killing over 2,400 people and destroying thousands of buildings, The Associated Press reported.

As of Wednesday morning, local time, no casualties have been reported.