Strong earthquake tremors were felt in Taiwan’s capital Taipei on Wednesday morning.
After this the danger of tsunami started looming. The country’s Central Meteorological Administration said that the earth shook with a magnitude of 7.2.
News agency Reuters quoted an eyewitness as saying that due to the strong earthquake there was power failure in many parts of the city. A tsunami warning was issued in Japan immediately after the earthquake.
It is not yet clear whether the earthquake has caused any damage or loss of life or property in Taiwan. The Japan Meteorological Agency predicted a tsunami of up to 3 meters (9.8 ft).
An advisory has also been issued for coastal areas near the southern prefecture of Okinawa shortly after a tsunami warning was issued following the strong earthquake.
The earthquake has shaken the foundations of buildings in Taiwan’s eastern city of Hualien. Train service was suspended. Metro service has also been stopped in Taipei. The earthquake struck at 7:58 a.m. on the other side of the island from the capital, but was powerful enough to knock goods off shelves in the city.
Let us tell you that this is the most powerful earthquake in Taiwan in recent years. According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake occurred at 7:58 am local time on Wednesday. Its intensity was measured at 7.4. Its epicenter was located 18 kilometers from the city of Hualien in the east of the island. Taiwan’s Central Meteorological Administration has rated the intensity of the incident at 7.2 on the Richter scale.
Taiwan weather officials said during a press conference that it was the largest seismic event since 1999.
Taiwan’s Taiex index fell 0.4% when markets opened on Wednesday, about an hour after the earthquake. The local dollar is trading 0.1% higher against the greenback.
Hualien has announced the closure of offices and schools on Wednesday in view of the incident. At the same time, tsunami waves up to 1 to 3 meters high are possible on some coasts of China and Taiwan.
People on Chinese social platform Weibo said they felt the earthquake across China, including Shanghai and Guangdong.