A powerful earthquake struck Taiwan, the strongest in 25 years. The 7.4-magnitude quake shook the island's east coast, toppling buildings, triggering landslides and killing at least four people.
According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake struck at 7:58 a.m. local time 18 kilometers (11 miles) south of the city of Hualien and at a depth of 34.8 kilometers (21 miles). It was followed by several strong aftershocks with tremors that were felt across the island.
Taiwan's National Fire Agency said at least four people were killed and 57 others injured in the quake. The deaths occurred in Hualien County, where a hiker was among the dead. Officials are still gathering information about the victims, AKU said.
Also reported were extensive damage, people trapped in collapsed buildings in Hualien County, thousands of homes without power and a major highway along the east coast jammed with traffic due to landslides and rockslides, according to Taiwanese officials.
A spokesman for Taiwan's Central Weather Administration warned that aftershocks as strong as magnitude 7 are expected by the end of the week.
The quake triggered initial tsunami warnings in Taiwan, southern Japan and the Philippines, with waves of less than half a meter observed along some coasts and prompting airlines to suspend flights. However, all tsunami warnings were later lifted.
According to the Ministry of Defense, in Taiwan, military personnel have been dispatched to provide assistance. Schools and workplaces were suspended as aftershocks hit the island.
Taiwan regularly experiences earthquakes due to its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire, which runs around the edge of the Pacific Ocean and causes massive seismic and volcanic activity from Indonesia to Chile.
Wednesday's earthquake is the strongest to hit Taiwan since 1999, according to the Central Weather Administration. The powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck 93 miles (150 kilometers) south of Taipei, killing 2,400 people and injuring 10,000 others.
