Taiwan has been struck by its strongest earthquake in 25 years causing buildings to collapse and widespread power outages.
Taiwan's earthquake monitoring agency said Wednesday morning's quake was magnitude 7.2 on the Richter scale, while the US Geological Survey (USGS) put it at 7.4 and Japan's Meteorological Agency put it at 7.7.
The earthquake led to a small tsunami in some coastal areas of Japan but warnings were later lifted.
At least seven people have died and more than 700 have been injured in eastern Taiwan's Hualien County - the epicentre of the quake - which struck during morning rush hour at 7.58am local time (3am Irish time).
The initial quake was at a depth of 34.8 km, the USGS said.
Notable quake, preliminary info: M 6.5 - 11 km NE of Hualien City, Taiwan https://t.co/7CosltHZBa
— USGS Earthquakes (@USGS_Quakes) April 3, 2024
In the capital Taipei, in the north of the island, tiles fell from the roof of older buildings and within some newer office complexes.
More than 87,000 households in Taiwan were without power, according to the island's electricity supplier.
Train services across Taiwan - which is home to 23 million people - were suspended, as was the Metro.
A five-storey building in Hualien was heavily damaged. The first floor collapsed, leaving the rest leaning at a 45-degree angle.
Traffic along the east coast was brought to a virtual standstill, with landslides and falling debris hitting tunnels and motorways in the mountainous region.
The national legislature in Taipei, a converted school built before the Second World War, also had damage to walls and ceilings.
Schools evacuated their students to sports fields, equipping them with yellow safety helmets.
Some also covered themselves with textbooks to guard against falling objects as aftershocks continued.
Aftershocks
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has said his country stands ready to support Taiwan following the quake.
The Philippines Seismology Agency also urged residents in coastal areas of several provinces to evacuate to higher ground.
Chinese media confirmed the earthquake was felt in Shanghai and several provinces along China's southeastern coast.
Multiple aftershocks were felt in Taipei in the hour after the initial quake. The USGS said one of the subsequent tremors had a magnitude of 6.5.
Taiwan lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a line of seismic faults where most of the world's earthquakes occur.
Taiwan's worst quake in recent years struck in 1999, with a magnitude of 7.7, causing 2,400 deaths, injuring around 100,000 and destroying thousands of buildings.
In March 2011, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake was the strongest in Japan's history - triggering a massive tsunami and the world's worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl.
Additional reporting: IRN
