Strong earthquake jolts southeastern coast of Taiwan

A 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit the sparsely populated southeastern part of Taiwan on Sunday, according to the island’s weather bureau, sparking a tsunami warning.

At 3:49 p.m., the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami advisory for the Miyakojima and Yaeyama regions of Okinawa Prefecture.

The estimated tsunami height is 1 meter.

People in the area are advised to move to higher ground.

The U.S. Geological Survey measured the quake at a magnitude 7.2 and at a depth of 10 km.

Taiwan media said a low rise building housing a convenience store collapsed, while at least one train carriage was derailed at a station on the east coast.

It was unclear if there were any casualties.

The U.S. Tsunami Warning Center issued a warning in Taiwan after the tremor. It said hazardous tsunami waves were possible within 300 km the epicenter along the coasts of Taiwan.

Japan’s weather agency issued a warning for tsunami waves of 1 meter for part of Okinawa prefecture following the earthquake.

Source -  Reuters

-Agencies