7.4 magnitude quake hits Taiwan, strongest in 25 years

Taiwan was struck by its strongest earthquake in 25 years on Wednesday when a 7.4 magnitude tremor struck the island’s eastern coast, collapsing buildings, killing at least four people and triggering tsunami warnings across the region that were later lifted.

The tsunami warnings also prompted airlines and airports to suspend flights, which were later resumed.

In this image taken from a video run by TVBS, a partially collapsed building is seen in Hualien, eastern Taiwan on Wednesday, April 3.

Fukuoka Airport was crowded with passengers after flight suspensions following a tsunami warning in Fukushima City on April 3.

A man stands along a sidewalk in Tokyo to watch a TV showing breaking news on a tsunami warning for Okinawa on April 3, 2024. 

The earthquake damaged houses and roads in New Taipei City, Taiwan, on April 3.

Firefighters work at the site where a building collapsed following the earthquake, in Hualien, Taiwan on April 3.

The powerful tremors that rocked Taiwan on Wednesday morning have damaged 125 buildings across the island, according to the National Fire Agency (NFA).

About half of the damaged buildings are in Hualien County, near the epicenter of the earthquake, according to local officials.

Four buildings in the county had partially collapsed, Hualien County Magistrate Hsu Chen-wei said at a news conference Wednesday.

Residents from three of the buildings have been safely evacuated, while search and rescue operations continue at the nine-storey Uranus Building, which is leaning to the right after the ground floor collapsed, Hsu said.

Twenty-two people have been rescued from the Uranus Building, with efforts still underway to contact one remaining resident, according to the National Fire Agency.

Taiwan was struck by its strongest earthquake in 25 years on Wednesday when a 7.4 magnitude tremor struck the island’s eastern coast, collapsing buildings, killing at least four people and prompting tsunami warnings across the region.

Here’s what you need to know:

Taiwan is regularly rocked by earthquakes due to its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire.

That’s where the world’s most active volcanoes lie. It’s also where most earthquakes happen as tectonic plates push against each other, causing sudden releases of energy that result in tremors.

The “ring” stretches along a 25,000-mile (40,000-kilometer) arc from the boundary of the Pacific Plate, to smaller plates such as the Philippine Sea plate, to the Cocos and Nazca Plates that line the edge of the Pacific Ocean.

People most at risk from volcanic eruptions and earthquakes live in places that lie along the Ring of Fire, including Chile, Japan, the US west coast, and other island nations including the Solomon Islands to the western seaboard of North and South Americas.

Read more about the volatile arc.

Each time a major earthquake strikes, academics around the world pore over data to assess how the tremor played out and what lessons might be learned.

Alan Collins, a geologist at the University of Adelaide, said Taiwan “lies at an incredibly interesting plate tectonic setting.”

Wednesday’s quake, he said, “formed as a thrust, where the crust is compressed horizontally and a part of the Earth’s surface is pushed up over the bit in front of it — a bit like a piggy-back”.

While Taiwan has ample experience with earthquakes, they tend not to produce large waves, Anja Scheffers, a tsunami expert at Australia’s Southern Cross University said.  

The strength of a quake is also not the only thing that determines how dangerous it is. Building quality and the time of day a quake strikes are also key, according to experts.

Four people have been killed in Taiwan after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake rocked the island, according to Taiwan’s National Fire Agency (NFA).

The deaths all occurred in Hualien County, near the epicenter of the quake, according to NFA.

At least 57 people have been injured, with most of them reported in Hualien, the agency added.

The agency earlier said that one of the fatalities was a hiker.

Japan is ready to provide support to its “important friend” Taiwan after it was struck by a 7.4 magnitude earthquake, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Wednesday.

Kishida added he was “deeply saddened” and hoped that “all friends in Taiwan will be safe.”

Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines have all canceled their tsunami warnings, whilst the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has said the threat to the United States has “largely passed”.

Tsunami waves were observed on the coasts of Taiwan and far southwestern Japanese islands after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit Taiwan on Wednesday morning.

But there were no immediate reports of any major damage caused by these waves.

In Taiwan: Tsunami heights reached nearly half a meter, or 1.5 feet, in Chenggong, approximately 100 km (62 miles) south of the quake’s epicenter. 

Observed tsunami heights are measured over open water and can reach significantly higher when they reach shore.

In Japan: A 0.3-meter wave impacted Okinawa Island, Naha airport spokesperson Hideaki Tsurodo told CNN, but no waves reached the airport and it was soon reopened.

In the Philippines: The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said “no significant sea level disturbances” had been recorded since the earthquake.  

In the US: The threat of any tsunami risk has “largely passed”, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said. The update issued by its warning center in Honolulu said the evaluation was “based on all available data.”

It added that minor sea level “fluctuations” of up to 30 centimeters above and below normal tide levels could continue “over the next few hours.” 

The US Tsunami Warning Center also advised government agencies to “monitor conditions at the coast to determine if and when it is safe to resume normal activities.”

Tsunami waves less than 0.3 meters may be observed for the coasts of Guam, Indonesia, Northern Marianas, Palau, Philippines, South Korea, Vietnam, and Yap, the center added.

The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. logo is seen atop a building in Hsinchu, Taiwan, on January 9, 2023.

Taiwanese semiconductor company TSMC has temporarily evacuated manufacturing plants following a 7.4 magnitude earthquake that struck the island on Wednesday morning, the firm told CNN.

According to initial inspections, the company’s construction sites are normal, but it “has decided to suspend work at construction sites for today, and work will resume following further inspections,” according to a statement from TSMC.

One person has been killed in Taiwan after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit the island, based on preliminary data from Taiwan’s National Fire Agency (NFA).

The person was hiking in Hualien County, NFA said.

Officials are still gathering more information about casualties, according to NFA. 

A social media video captures a massive landslide in Hualien, Taiwan.

Videos posted by Taiwan residents on social media and geolocated by CNN show some of the damage from a 7.4 magnitude earthquake that rocked the island early on Wednesday.

In the eastern county of Hualien, near the epicenter of the quake, social media footage showed several collapsed buildings and residents helping trapped people escape through the window of a damaged apartment complex. 

At a road intersection, a crowd of morning commuters on scooters and motorbikes watched as a multi-storey red building tilted sideways, a separate video showed.

Another video from Hualien captured a massive landslide coming down the mountain, with clouds of brown dust swallowing a section of the road and buildings nearby.

In the capital Taipei, in the north of the island, a video showed a subway car shaking violently, with passengers holding onto the handles tightly.

Taiwan is expected to be hit by aftershocks over the next three to four days following a 7.4 magnitude earthquake on Wednesday morning, according to the island’s Central Weather Administration.

The aftershocks could be as strong as a magnitude 6.5 to 7.0, a spokesperson for the administration said at a news conference.

Zhu Fenglian speaks during a regular press conference on February 28, 2024 in Beijing, China.

Beijing has offered relief assistance after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit Taiwan on Wednesday morning, according to China’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Zhu Fenglian. 

She added they would “pay close attention to the disaster situation and aftermaths, and are willing to provide disaster relief assistance.”

Some background: China’s ruling Communist Party claims Taiwan as its own territory, but it has never controlled the self-ruling democratic island.

Tsai Ing-wen gives a speech in Taipei, Taiwan, on October 10, 2023.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said she has “immediately instructed the administration to get on top of the situation and understand local impacts as soon as possible,” following an earthquake that struck the island early on Wednesday.

Tsai has also instructed the administration to “provide necessary assistance, and work together with local governments to minimize the impact of the disaster,” according to a post on her Facebook page.

In this image taken from a video footage run by TVBS, a man checks a partially collapsed building in Hualien, eastern Taiwan on Wednesday, April 3.

People are trapped in Taiwan after a powerful earthquake that hit the island on Wednesday morning caused the collapse of at least 26 buildings, according to Taiwan’s Central Emergency Command Center (CEOC).

There are reports of people trapped in seven of the buildings, CEOC added.

The collapsed buildings include 15 in Hualien County near the epicenter, CEOC said.

The quake has also affected power supplies, with more than 91,000 households without electricity, CEOC said, adding that the island’s state-operated Taipower Company is currently working to fix the issue. 

CEOC also noted that some train services in eastern Taiwan have been suspended, but it’s estimated that they’ll be operational again by the end of the day.

Taiwan’s east coast is breathtakingly rugged and a major tourist draw, its geography a testament to the powerful tectonic forces that lie underneath. 

The island is located where the Philippines Sea Plate meets the vast Eurasian Plate. The result is a tear-drop-shaped island that boasts a towering spine of mountains running down its middle and an eastern coast that often experiences tremors.

Taiwan’s western side is where the majority of the population live, home to the largest cities, an extensive high-speed train network and much of the industrial heartland. 

In contrast, the east coast is much less populated and rural. Winding roads and a much slower train line cling to steep cliffs and have to go through dozens of tunnels. 

The city of Hualien itself is the gateway to many popular tourist sights including the famous Taroko Gorge and the dramatic Qingshui Cliffs, a 21-kilometer stretch of sheer cliffs that average more than 800m high. 

To the south of Hualien lies many coastal spots that are particularly popular with surfers and cyclists as well as the Huadong Valley, also known as the East Rift Valley, which boasts many beautiful rural villages.

Read more about Taiwan’s picturesque eastern coast.

Naha airport in the southern Japan island prefecture of Okinawa is crowded on April 3, after operations were temporarily suspended following a tsunami warning due to a powerful earthquake off Taiwan. 

All flights to and from Japan’s Naha Airport on Okinawa island have resumed after a tsunami warning issued for the area was downgraded, the airport’s spokesperson Hideaki Tsurudo told CNN on Wednesday.

Okinawa was impacted by small tsunami waves under 30 centimeters (11 inches) following the earthquake in Taiwan, resulting in flights to be suspended. But no waves reached the airport and it was thereby reopened, according to Tsurudo.

A man stands along a sidewalk to watch a TV showing breaking news on the tsunami advisory for the Okinawa region on Wednesday, April 3, in Tokyo. 

No casualties or damage have been reported in Japan following the 7.4 magnitude earthquake in Taiwan, according to Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi.

The quake triggered tsunami warnings in Japan, but early reports show the first tsunami waves to be small, under 30 centimeters (11 inches), on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa.

But Hayashi, speaking at a press conference, said the second and third waves generated by the quake are expected to be bigger.

The tsunami warnings for Japan have been downgraded to an advisory, he said.

Still, Hayashi advised people in affected areas to remain on higher ground.

A tsunami warning was issued in the Philippines following a 7.4 magnitude earthquake in Taiwan, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

The first waves were forecast to hit from 8:33 a.m. local time until 10:33 a.m. on Wednesday (8:33 p.m. to 10:33 p.m. ET on Tuesday).

People in the coastal areas across the provinces of Batanes Group of Islands, Cagayan, Ilocos Norte and Isabela have been “strongly advised to immediately evacuate to higher grounds or move further inland,” according to the advisory.

Owners of boats in harbors, estuaries, or shallow coastal water have also been asked to secure their boats and move away from the waterfront. Boats already out at sea should stay offshore in deep waters until further advised, the advisory read.

A section of the Suhua Highway on the eastern coast of Taiwan has collapsed after the earthquake.

The 7.4 magnitude earthquake that hit Taiwan on Wednesday has severely damaged a major highway along its eastern coast, according to local television stations.

Footage aired on CNN affiliate TVBS showed large boulders had fallen on the Suhua Highway, with several tunnels broken — including one that was split in half.

CNN affiliate SET News shows the front of a car smashed by fallen rocks.

At least nine rockfalls and landslides have been reported on the Suhua Highway, and the entire line has been closed, Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported, citing authorities.

Another highway connecting the west coast with the east of Taiwan was also damaged by rockfall, with at least 12 cars hit and nine people injured, TVBS reported.

Some background: Winding along steep cliffs high above the Pacific Ocean, the Suhua Highway is known as one of Taiwan’s most dangerous — yet also the most scenic — drives.

It connects the northeast of Taiwan to the eastern city of Hualien, which is near the earthquake’s epicenter.

Residents on the streets of Hualien in Taiwan have been inspecting damage following a 7.4 magnitude earthquake, footage from CNN affiliate TVBS shows.

The footage shows the awning of a building that had collapsed on top of motorbikes in the street, and a large nine-storey building partially collapsed and leaning to the right.

People evacuate to higher ground after a tsunami warning following a powerful earthquake in Naha, Okinawa prefecture, Japan, on Wednesday, April 3.

A tsunami warning issued for Miyakojima and Okinawa islands in Japan has been downgraded from a warning to an advisory, according to Japan’s Meteorological Agency.

All flights to Japan’s Naha Airport on Okinawa island have been diverted following a tsunami report, the airport’s spokesperson told CNN on Wednesday.

All staff and personnel have evacuated to the third floor in anticipation of the tsunami’s impact, Hideaki Tsurudo said, adding that no waves have reached the airport in the timeframe of the warning.

CCTV footage from SET TV's newsroom showing ceiling lights shaking during the quake.

Footage broadcast by CNN affiliate TVBS showed how Taiwanese people captured the moment the tremors struck inside their homes and businesses using phones and security cameras.

One video showed power lines swaying violently above a street, another showed chandeliers shaking in a restaurant while a third featured water spilling out of a fishbowl.

All flights from Japan’s Okinawa and Kagoshima regions have been suspended following tsunami warnings in the area, according to Japan Airlines.

Flights that were headed to the areas with tsunami warnings have been turned back, it added.

In this image taken from a video footage run by TVBS, a partially collapsed building is seen in Hualien, eastern Taiwan on Wednesday, April 3.

Reports of preliminary damage are emerging following a 7.4 magnitude earthquake in Taiwan.

Tilted houses and damage have been reported in Hualien County, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said, adding that military troops have been dispatched for disaster relief and to minimize damage and that schools and work have been suspended amid the continuing aftershocks.

Wednesday’s tsunami in Japan’s Okinawa area was the first observed in 26 years, with the last one taking place in 1998 following a 7.7 earthquake 20 km south of Ishigaki Island, according to Japan’s Metrological Agency (JMA).

During the 1998 tsunami, the forecast was for 1-meter-high waves in the coastal areas of Miyakojima and Yaeyama regions, but the actual tsunami observed was less than 10 centimeters, according to JMA. 

The earthquake that struck Taiwan early on Wednesday is the strongest to impact the island in 25 years, according to a spokesperson from Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration.

A 7.3 earthquake, also known as the Jiji earthquake, struck the island in 1999, according to CWA. 

That powerful quake hit 93 miles (150 kilometers) south of Taipei, killing 2,400 people and injuring 10,000 others.

In this image taken from a video footage run by TVBS, a partially collapsed building is seen in Hualien, eastern Taiwan on Wednesday, April 3.

A major earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 struck off Taiwan’s eastern coast Wednesday, according to the US Geological Survey, prompting tsunami warnings for the island and southern Japan.

The quake’s epicenter is located about 18 kilometers (11 miles) south of the city of Hualien.

Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration issued a tsunami warning following the quake. An alert from CWA was sent to residents, though not all received it, warning that a tsunami was expected to impact the northern coastal area and that residents are advised to evacuate to higher ground.

The Japan Meteorological Agency also issued a tsunami warning for Miyakojima and Okinawa islands, warning of waves up to 3 meters expected imminently.