At least nine people were killed and over 900 injured as a 7.2 magnitude earthquake — the strongest to hit Taiwan in 25 years — rocked the Island nation on Wednesday.
According to the Taiwan government, four people died in the mountainous, sparsely populated eastern county of Hualien near where the epicenter was.
The fire department said 77 people remained trapped, some in collapsed buildings in Hualien. It also added that over 100 buildings were damaged.
The quake was centered just off the east coast at a depth of 15.5km (9.6 miles), according to Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration.
The presidential office said president-elect Lai Ching-te, who takes office next month, would visit Hualien later on Wednesday.
There was also strong shaking felt on Taipei’s subway system, which closed briefly to evacuate passengers though service resumed soon after on most lines.
Japan’s weather agency, which put the earthquake’s magnitude at 7.7, said several small tsunami waves reached parts of the southern prefecture of Okinawa.
The Philippines Seismology Agency issued a warning for residents in coastal areas of several provinces, urging them to evacuate to higher ground.
