Taipei City (Agencies): A 7.3-magnitude earthquake jolted the sea area near Hualien in China’s Taiwan at 7:58 am Wednesday (Beijing Time), followed by two aftershocks of 6.0-magnitude and 5.9-magnitude at 8:11 am and 8:35 am respectively, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC). The Tsunami Warning Center of China’s Ministry of Natural Resources issued a tsunami red warning following the earthquake, and Japan meteorological authority also issued a tsunami alert.
The epicenter was monitored at 23.81 degrees north latitude and 121.74 degrees east longitude, at a depth of 12 km, said a report issued by the CENC.
Xinhua reporters in Taipei experienced intense tremors as buildings shook continuously for over a minute. Elevators in the reporters’ apartment building were suspended from operation, according to Xinhua News Agency.
According to local media reports, strong tremors were felt in various parts of Taiwan, prompting Taipei’s metro system to halt operations for 40 to 60 minutes. Students in Taipei were evacuated due to the earthquake, as reported by the China Media Group.
The earthquake was also felt in East China’s Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangsu provinces and Shanghai and South China’s Guangdong Province, according to information shared by netizens on social media platforms such as WeChat and Weibo. No casualties have been reported as of press time.
According to the Japan Broadcasting Association, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning for Miyako Island, Okinawa main island and other places on Wednesday, with an expected wave height of 3 meters.