Early Wednesday, a powerful earthquake struck Taiwan, shaking the entire island and causing buildings to collapse in a southern city. Additionally, it generated a tsunami that surged onto southern Japanese islands.
In the sparsely populated area of Hualien, a five-story building suffered extensive damage, with its first floor collapsing and the remaining structure leaning at a 45-degree angle. Meanwhile, in the capital city of Taipei, tiles were dislodged from older buildings and some newer office complexes experienced interior damage.
Train service was suspended across the island of 23 million people, as was subway service in Taipei. But things quickly returned to normal in the capital, with children going to school and the morning commute appearing to be normal.
According to Taiwan's earthquake monitoring agency, the magnitude of the earthquake was reported as 7.2, while the US Geological Survey estimated it at 7.4. The quake occurred at 7:58 am, approximately 18 km south-southwest of Hualien, with a depth of about 35 km (21 miles). Wu Chien-fu, the head of Taiwan's earthquake monitoring bureau, noted that its effects were felt as far as Kinmen, a Taiwanese-controlled island located off the coast of China. Taipei experienced several aftershocks within the hour following the initial earthquake.
The USGS said one of the subsequent quakes was 6.5 magnitude and 11.8 km (7 miles) deep. The Japan Meteorological Agency forecast a tsunami of up to 3 meters (9.8 feet) for the southern Japanese island group of Okinawa. A wave of 30 cm (about 1 feet) was detected on the coast of Yonaguni island about 15 minutes after the quake struck. JAMA said waves likely also hit the coasts of Miyako and Yaeyama islands.