Strong Quake Strikes Taiwan, Setting off Tsunami Warning in Japan

A powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Taiwan on Wednesday morning, prompting nearby Japan to issue a tsunami warning.

The quake was centered off the coast of Hualien, on Taiwan’s east coast, according to the United States Geological Survey. Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration also recorded an aftershock of magnitude 6.5.

The quake’s epicenter was about 10 miles under the earth’s surface, according to Taiwan. Tremors could be felt for over a minute in the capital, Taipei, where news broadcasts showed footage of buildings shaking.

In Japan, according to the broadcaster NHK, tsunami waves as high as 30 centimeters had already started hitting the shore on Yonaguni Island at 9:14 a.m. local time.

Residents on Okinawa, Miyako and Yaeyama islands in southern Japan were told to get as far away from coastal areas as possible. According to NHK, the tsunamis were expected to hit the islands shortly after 10 a.m., with waves as high as 3 meters, or 10 feet, on Miyako and Yaeyama.

Motoko Rich contributed reporting from Tokyo.