An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, struck Taiwan early Wednesday, affecting the entire island. The quake caused buildings to collapse in a southern city and prompted a brief tsunami warning for southern Japanese islands.
Images and videos shared on social media depicted the aftermath of the earthquake, showing buildings shaken off their foundations. In Hualien, a five-story building sustained heavy damage, with its first floor collapsing and the rest of the structure leaning at a 45-degree angle.
In the capital city of Taipei, older buildings lost tiles, and some newer office complexes were also impacted. The earthquake's effects were felt as far as Kinmen, a Taiwanese-controlled island off the coast of China.
As of now, there is no official information on casualties. Train services across the island were suspended, but daily activities in Taipei seemed to continue as usual, with children going to school and the morning commute proceeding normally.
The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center initially assessed the earthquake for potential tsunami threats to the West Coast states of the U.S. and parts of Canada. However, it later confirmed that no tsunami was expected.
This earthquake is believed to be the most significant in Taiwan since 1999 when a powerful temblor caused extensive damage. Taiwan is situated along the Pacific 'Ring of Fire,' a region known for its high seismic activity due to numerous fault lines encircling the Pacific Ocean.
