Taipei authorities said they had not yet received reports of major damage, but a building partially collapsed in the eastern city of Hualien, local media reported and images circulating on social media showed.
The Japanese authorities report that a tsunami of 30 centimeters has already been observed around 9:30 am local time on the island of Yonaguni, which is located about 111 kilometers east of Taiwan. They advise residents of the Okinawa islands to evacuate to higher ground, as waves of three meters or higher are possible in Okinawa, public broadcaster NHK reported. “Evacuate to higher ground, do not return,” said a presenter from the channel.
Among Japan’s endangered islands is Miyakojima, home to some 45,000 people.
The quake was also felt on mainland China, including in the metropolis of Shanghai, Chinese state media report.
According to the Japanese meteorological agency JMA, the earthquake occurred just before 2 a.m. Belgian time.
Tags: Major earthquake coast Taiwan tsunami alert effect Okinawa Prefecture
