7.4 magnitude quake hits Taiwan, strongest in 25 years

Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines have all canceled their tsunami warnings, whilst the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has said the threat to the United States has “largely passed”.

Tsunami waves were observed on the coasts of Taiwan and far southwestern Japanese islands after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit Taiwan on Wednesday morning.

But there were no immediate reports of any major damage caused by these waves.

In Taiwan: Tsunami heights reached nearly half a meter, or 1.5 feet, in Chenggong, approximately 100 km (62 miles) south of the quake’s epicenter. 

Observed tsunami heights are measured over open water and can reach significantly higher when they reach shore.

In Japan: A 0.3-meter wave impacted Okinawa Island, Naha airport spokesperson Hideaki Tsurodo told CNN, but no waves reached the airport and it was soon reopened.

In the Philippines: The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said "no significant sea level disturbances" had been recorded since the earthquake.  

In the US: The threat of any tsunami risk has “largely passed”, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said. The update issued by its warning center in Honolulu said the evaluation was “based on all available data.”

It added that minor sea level “fluctuations” of up to 30 centimeters above and below normal tide levels could continue “over the next few hours.” 

The US Tsunami Warning Center also advised government agencies to “monitor conditions at the coast to determine if and when it is safe to resume normal activities.”

Tsunami waves less than 0.3 meters may be observed for the coasts of Guam, Indonesia, Northern Marianas, Palau, Philippines, South Korea, Vietnam, and Yap, the center added.

Taiwanese semiconductor company TSMC has temporarily evacuated manufacturing plants following a 7.4 magnitude earthquake that struck the island on Wednesday morning, the firm told CNN.

According to initial inspections, the company's construction sites are normal, but it "has decided to suspend work at construction sites for today, and work will resume following further inspections," according to a statement from TSMC.

One person has been killed in Taiwan after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit the island, based on preliminary data from Taiwan's National Fire Agency (NFA).

The person was hiking in Hualien County, NFA said.

Officials are still gathering more information about casualties, according to NFA. 

Videos posted by Taiwan residents on social media and geolocated by CNN show some of the damage from a 7.4 magnitude earthquake that rocked the island early on Wednesday.

In the eastern county of Hualien, near the epicenter of the quake, social media footage showed several collapsed buildings and residents helping trapped people escape through the window of a damaged apartment complex. 

At a road intersection, a crowd of morning commuters on scooters and motorbikes watched as a multi-storey red building tilted sideways, a separate video showed.

Another video from Hualien captured a massive landslide coming down the mountain, with clouds of brown dust swallowing a section of the road and buildings nearby.

In the capital Taipei, in the north of the island, a video showed a subway car shaking violently, with passengers holding onto the handles tightly.

Taiwan is expected to be hit by aftershocks over the next three to four days following a 7.4 magnitude earthquake on Wednesday morning, according to the island's Central Weather Administration.

The aftershocks could be as strong as a magnitude 6.5 to 7.0, a spokesperson for the administration said at a news conference.

Beijing has offered relief assistance after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit Taiwan on Wednesday morning, according to China’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Zhu Fenglian. 

She added they would “pay close attention to the disaster situation and aftermaths, and are willing to provide disaster relief assistance.”

Some background: China's ruling Communist Party claims Taiwan as its own territory, but it has never controlled the self-ruling democratic island.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said she has "immediately instructed the administration to get on top of the situation and understand local impacts as soon as possible," following an earthquake that struck the island early on Wednesday.

Tsai has also instructed the administration to "provide necessary assistance, and work together with local governments to minimize the impact of the disaster," according to a post on her Facebook page.

People are trapped in Taiwan after a powerful earthquake that hit the island on Wednesday morning caused the collapse of at least 26 buildings, according to Taiwan's Central Emergency Command Center (CEOC).

There are reports of people trapped in seven of the buildings, CEOC added.

The collapsed buildings include 15 in Hualien County near the epicenter, CEOC said.

The quake has also affected power supplies, with more than 91,000 households without electricity, CEOC said, adding that the island's state-operated Taipower Company is currently working to fix the issue. 

CEOC also noted that some train services in eastern Taiwan have been suspended, but it's estimated that they'll be operational again by the end of the day.

Taiwan’s east coast is breathtakingly rugged and a major tourist draw, its geography a testament to the powerful tectonic forces that lie underneath. 

The island is located where the Philippines Sea Plate meets the vast Eurasian Plate. The result is a tear-drop-shaped island that boasts a towering spine of mountains running down its middle and an eastern coast that often experiences tremors.

Taiwan’s western side is where the majority of the population live, home to the largest cities, an extensive high-speed train network and much of the industrial heartland. 

In contrast, the east coast is much less populated and rural. Winding roads and a much slower train line cling to steep cliffs and have to go through dozens of tunnels. 

The city of Hualien itself is the gateway to many popular tourist sights including the famous Taroko Gorge and the dramatic Qingshui Cliffs, a 21-kilometer stretch of sheer cliffs that average more than 800m high. 

To the south of Hualien lies many coastal spots that are particularly popular with surfers and cyclists as well as the Huadong Valley, also known as the East Rift Valley, which boasts many beautiful rural villages.

Read more about Taiwan's picturesque eastern coast.