"Deadly Earthquake Strikes Taiwan, Causing Significant Damage to Buildings After Nearly 25 Years."

 "Deadly Earthquake Strikes Taiwan, Causing Significant Damage to Buildings After Nearly 25 Years."

On Wednesday morning, Taiwan was rocked by a significant earthquake during rush hour, resulting in collapsed buildings and prompting tsunami warnings in both Japan and the Philippines.

Officials have confirmed at least four fatalities and dozens more injuries as a result of the quake.

The epicenter of the quake was near the eastern city of Hualien, occurring at 7:58 am local time (2358 GMT) with a magnitude of 7.4, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. This marks the strongest earthquake to hit Taiwan since 1999. The depth of the quake was approximately 35 kilometers (22 miles), categorized as shallow.

The impact was felt strongly in Taipei, the capital city, located around 100 miles away, with aftershocks continuing for approximately two hours. Reports from China indicated that the tremors were felt as far as Shanghai, approximately 500 miles to the north.

A powerful earthquake struck eastern Taiwan on Wednesday, causing significant damage. Buildings were seen leaning precariously after being shaken from their foundations in televised images. Officials in Hualien, a city of roughly 300,000 people, closed schools and businesses. As a safety precaution, eight power plants were shut down, leaving 87,000 residents in Hualien without electricity. The rest of the island has power. According to Bloomberg News, TSMC, the world's largest chipmaker, evacuated its production lines following the earthquake.

Following the quake, Japan's Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning for the southern Japanese island group of Okinawa, predicting waves of up to 3 meters (9.8 feet). A small wave generated by the earthquake reached Yonaguni Island. The Associated Press reported that the wave measured around 30 centimeters, or roughly one foot, and struck the coast about 15 minutes after the tremor.The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) indicated that waves likely affected the coasts of Miyako and Yaeyama islands as well.

Meanwhile, the Philippines has issued a tsunami warning, urging residents in four coastal areas to evacuate to higher ground or move inland.

Taiwanese media noted that the last earthquake with a magnitude of 7 or greater to strike the island occurred on September 21, 1999, known as the "Jiji" earthquake, which measured 7.3. This quake resulted in the destruction of thousands of buildings and claimed the lives of more than 2,400 people.