A 7.2 magnitude earthquake jolted the eastern sea area of Taiwan at 7:58am on Apr. 3, 2024, according to Taiwan Central Weather Administration.

The earthquake was felt throughout Taiwan and caused trains in Taipei and Kaohsiung to suspend operations for 40 to 60 minutes.

The island's eastern county of Hualien was most severely affected by the earthquake.

As a result, a number of buildings in the county collapsed.

As Hualien continues experiencing aftershocks of the earthquake, the county government has since suspended schools and work in the county.

Tsunami warnings in neighbouring regions

The strong earthquake in Taiwan also prompted Japan, China, and the Philippines to issue tsunami warnings.

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning for the coastal areas of Okinawa Prefecture, cautioning that a tsunami up to 3m high is expected in the region.

According to NHK, this is the first time the agency has issued a tsunami warning for the prefecture's coastal areas since the 9.1-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Japan in 2011.

Similarly, China's Tsunami Advisory Centre issued a red alert, the most severe warning in the country, stating that a tsunami may form in the surrounding waters of the earthquake's epicentre.

The tsunami is expected to bring "catastrophic effects to the coastal areas, including the east of Taipei and Hualien", reported state-owned media Xinhua News.

Over in Southeast Asia, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology advised residents in the northern coastal areas of the country to "immediately evacuate to higher grounds or move farther inland" as these areas "are expected to experience high tsunami waves", reported ABS-CBN News.

Top photo via @忽胖忽瘦的泡芙女孩/Xiaohongshu & TVBS/YouTube