Welcome and opening overview
A strong earthquake occurred offshore Taiwan, the entire island shakes and at least one town building collapses. I’m Regd Ahmad. I will be with you for a while.
According to the Associated Press, Japan has issued a tsunami warning for the southern Japanese archipelago of Okinawa.
We’ll get into the details later, but first, here’s a summary of what we know so far.
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The Japan Meteorological Agency predicts tsunamis of up to 3 meters, or 9.8 feet, could occur in some areas.
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According to Reuters, the Japan Meteorological Agency announced at 9:18 a.m. (0:18 GMT) that a 30-centimeter tsunami had reached Yonaguni Island.
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Taiwan’s earthquake monitoring agency said it had a magnitude of 7.2, while the U.S. Geological Survey said it had a magnitude of 7.5.
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Television showed buildings in eastern Hualien City being thrown off their foundations.
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The quake struck at 7:58 a.m. local time and was felt in the capital Taipei.
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Chinese state media is reporting that it was felt in Fuzhou, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Ningde in China’s Fujian province.
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Television images are showing buildings in the city of Hualien shaken off their foundations after the earthquake.
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Elsewhere, the Islandwide train service has been suspended, as was subway service in Taipei.
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Taiwan’s earthquake monitoring agency gave the magnitude as 7.2 while the U.S. Geological Survey put it at 7.5. The depth was about 33km.
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The Philippines seismology agency has issued a tsunami warning as well after that strong Taiwan quake, with Philippine coastal areas fronting the Pacific Ocean expected to experience “high tsunami waves”, according to the Reuters news agency.
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People in the coastal areas in several provinces were advised to immediately evacuate to higher grounds or move farther inland, the advisory read.
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A tsunami advisory has been issued in southern Japan after a powerful earthquake struck near Taiwan on Wednesday morning, according to Japan’s meteorological agency (JMA).
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Television showed collapsing buildings in the eastern Taiwan city of Hualien.
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Japanese media said the magnitude 7.5 quake could trigger waves as high as 3 metres in some areas of Okinawa prefecture, located roughly 1,000 miles south of Tokyo.
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A 30 cm tsunami has reached Yonaguni Island at 9:18 am (0018 GMT), the JMA said.
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Announcers on public broadcaster NHK urged people not to go near the coast and to evacuate to higher areas, while warnings in English and Japanese appeared on the screen.
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Read our breaking story here:
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A powerful earthquake has hit off the coast of Taiwan, rocking the entire island and collapsing buildings in at least one town. I’m Reged Ahmad and I’ll be with you for the next while.
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Japan issued a tsunami alert for the southern Japanese island group of Okinawa, according to Associated Press.
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More on that in a moment but first – here’s a summary of what we know so far:
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Japan’s meteorological agency forecast a tsunami of up to 3 meters, or 9.8 feet for some areas.
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The Japan Meteorological Agency reported that a 30cm tsunami reached Yonaguni Island at 9:18 am (0018 GMT), Reuters reports.
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Taiwan’s earthquake monitoring agency gave the magnitude as 7.2 while the US Geological Survey put it at 7.5.
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Television have shown buildings in the eastern city of Hualien shaken off their foundations.
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The quake came at 7:58am local time and could be felt in the capital Taipei.
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important events
Background on Taiwan’s earthquake history
Because the island is located near the junction of two tectonic plates, the country is regularly hit by earthquakes.
In September 1999, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Taiwan, killing approximately 2,400 people, making it the worst natural disaster in the island’s history.
Earthquakes occur frequently in Japan, with approximately 1,500 tremors being felt each year.
Most are mild, but the damage they cause depends on the depth of the epicenter below the surface and its location.
The intensity of a tsunami, a vast and potentially destructive series of waves that can move at hundreds of kilometers per hour, also depends on multiple factors.
In Japan and Taiwan, even larger earthquakes usually cause little damage, thanks to special construction techniques and strict building regulations.
Japan has also developed advanced procedures and techniques to warn and evacuate people if necessary.
The largest earthquake ever recorded in Japan was a magnitude 9.0 earthquake that occurred off the northeast coast of Japan in March 2011, causing a tsunami that left approximately 18,500 people dead or missing.
In the 2011 disaster, three reactors at the Fukushima nuclear power plant also went into meltdown, causing the worst post-war disaster and the most serious nuclear accident since Chernobyl.
Earthquake felt in China – Report
Witnesses told Reuters the quake was also felt in Shanghai, China.
Chinese state media report It was also felt in Fuzhou, Xiamen, Quanzhou, and Ningde in China’s Fujian province.
Taiwan reports collapsed buildings
Television footage showed buildings in Hualien City being thrown off their foundations after the earthquake.
In other areas, island-wide rail service has been suspended, as is Taipei’s subway.
Taiwan’s earthquake monitoring agency said it had a magnitude of 7.2, while the U.S. Geological Survey said it had a magnitude of 7.5. The depth was approximately 33 km.
Philippines issues tsunami warning
of Philippines Earthquake authorities also issued a tsunami warning after a strong earthquake in Taiwan, with “high tsunami waves” expected to hit the Pacific coast of the Philippines, according to Reuters.
The advisory said people in coastal areas of several states were advised to immediately evacuate to higher ground or move further inland.
Japan issues tsunami warning
Justin McQuarrie
A tsunami advisory has been issued for southern Japan after a strong earthquake struck near Taiwan on Wednesday morning, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
Television showed buildings collapsing in Hualien City, eastern Taiwan.
Japanese media reported that the magnitude 7.5 earthquake could cause waves up to 3 meters high in some areas of Okinawa Prefecture, about 1,000 miles south of Tokyo.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, a 30-centimeter tsunami reached Yonaguni Island at 9:18 a.m. (0:18 GMT).
An announcer from public broadcaster NHK displayed a warning in English and Japanese on the screen, urging people to stay away from the coast and evacuate to higher ground.
Read the latest news here:
Welcome and opening overview
A strong earthquake occurred offshore Taiwan, the entire island shakes and at least one town building collapses. I’m Regd Ahmad. I will be with you for a while.
According to the Associated Press, Japan has issued a tsunami warning for the southern Japanese archipelago of Okinawa.
We’ll get into the details later, but first, here’s a summary of what we know so far.
-
The Japan Meteorological Agency predicts tsunamis of up to 3 meters, or 9.8 feet, could occur in some areas.
-
According to Reuters, the Japan Meteorological Agency announced at 9:18 a.m. (0:18 GMT) that a 30-centimeter tsunami had reached Yonaguni Island.
-
Taiwan’s earthquake monitoring agency said it had a magnitude of 7.2, while the U.S. Geological Survey said it had a magnitude of 7.5.
-
Television showed buildings in eastern Hualien City being thrown off their foundations.
-
The quake struck at 7:58 a.m. local time and was felt in the capital Taipei.
