7.4-magnitude earthquake hits Taiwan, Leaning high-rise building

Metro systems and high-speed rail in Taipei have been suspended.

09:57 03/04/2024

A powerful preliminary magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Taiwan just before 8:00 a.m. local time, with an epicenter near Hualien City.

It was followed by a preliminary magnitude 6.5 aftershock, also near Hualien City, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

A five-story house and another building in Hualien, Taiwan, collapsed because of the earthquake. A seven-decade-old low-rise house in Keelung, Taiwan, and at least one other building in Taipei is said to have falling debris.

The metro system and high-speed rail have been suspended.

A powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck Taiwan early Wednesday morning, damaging buildings and prompting warnings after tsunami waves hit Japan.

Local media showed buildings in Taiwan’s eastern city of Hualien collapsed off their foundations after the quake — the largest in 25 years — rocked the island nation just before 8 a.m. local time.

Shocking footage of the aftermath posted on social media shows massive buildings dramatically leaning on an extreme angle as clouds of dust still hung in the air.

The earthquake caused several parts of capital city Taipei to lose power, while train service was suspended across the country. However, things appeared to return to normal with people commuting to work and children heading to school shortly after the quake.

Japan issued an evacuation advisory for coastal areas near Okinawa after the earthquake triggered a warning.