Multiple Buildings Collapse After Taiwan Shaken By Pair Of Powerful Earthquakes, Tsunami Warning Issued

A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 followed by a smaller quake with a magnitude of 6.5 struck off Taiwan’s eastern coast Wednesday, according to the US Geological Survey, prompting tsunami warnings in southern Japan.

The first quake, with a magnitude of 7.4, struck at 7:58pm ET (7:58am local time) and had an epicenter located about 18 kilometers (11 miles) south of the city of Hualien and shook buildings in the capital Taipei.

The second quake, with a magnitude of 6.5, hit 13 minutes later at 8:11pm ET, and was lcoated at almost the exact same spot as the first one: its epicenter was about 11 kilometers northeast of Hualien City.

Tsunami waves are possible along the Taiwan coast, the Pacific Tsunami warning center said. A tsunami warning was also issued for southwestern Japan’s Okinawa prefecture after the region was rocked by the quake.

Local residents were urged to evacuate from an expected tsunami of as high as 3 meters, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

Unconfirmed clips posted on X showed landslides in the aftermath of the strong quake.

Others reported that multiple buildings had collapsed in Taiwan in the aftermath of the quake.

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