Minute by minute: Japan warns of tremors after earthquake in Taiwan

At the very least Seven people died And More than 700 people were injured due to a severe earthquake on Wednesday Taiwan It damaged dozens of buildings and triggered tsunami warnings for Japan and the Philippines.

According to the National Fire Agency, the earthquake was the strongest to hit the island in decades, and they warned of more aftershocks in the coming days.

“The earthquake was close to land and shallow. It was felt across Taiwan and offshore islands,” said Wu Hsien-fu, director of the Central Meteorological Administration's Seismic Center in Taipei.

Strict building codes and widespread disaster awareness seem to have averted a major disaster on the earthquake-prone island near the junction of two tectonic plates.

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) warned this Wednesday of the danger Earthquakes Extra inside Taiwan In the next few days and a magnitude similar to the one that happened this Wednesday, 7.2 according to the island's authorities.

JMA detected the earthquake and issued warnings about its arrival Tsunami Up to three meters in the archipelago Okinawa (Southwest Japan), held a press conference to analyze the situation after the earthquake.

The Japanese agency raised the alarm on the islands Okinawa After this Wednesday Sea rise can be observed Around 30 centimeters in many coastal areas, he warned, could fall in the next few hours. New earthquakes and tsunamis may occur.

“After a large-scale earthquake, there is a 10 to 20 percent chance of an earthquake of the same magnitude occurring in the next week, mainly in the first 2 or 3 days,” said Shigeki Aoki, head of the JMA. Earthquake and Tsunami Planning and Countermeasures.

The expert also pointed out that the epicenter of the earthquake occurred in a “very complex area” due to the coincidence of several tectonic plates, so the JMA could not determine the exact structure of the seismic movement.

Death toll from Wednesday's powerful earthquake Taiwan It is reported that it has risen to four Firefighters of this territory.

Deaths have occurred in the district Hualien, the closest point to the epicenter of a magnitude 7.4 earthquake. Three of the victims died during the hike, while the other died in the road tunnel.

Cancel Philippines Wednesday a Tsunami warning In the north of the country, a strong earthquake shook neighboring countries a few hours later Taiwan.

Evacuation of the coastal areas of the provinces was ordered Batanes, Cagayan, Ilocos Norte And Isabella A tsunami warning was issued following the 7.4 magnitude earthquake Taiwan, Japan And Philippines.

However, few people living in sparsely populated northern areas seem to have responded to the orders, and the tsunami warning was lifted hours later.

“Based on data available from our sea level monitoring stations located in front of the epicentral zone, no significant sea level disturbances were recorded from 07:58 am (local time) until this cancellation,” the agency said. In a consultation with State Seismology.

The company had first warned “High Tsunami Waves” Based on wave models.

A powerful series EarthquakesAmong them, the strongest, measuring 7.5 degrees, shook the island Taiwancausing damage to buildings and other infrastructure Tsunami warnings In the territory of Taiwan and the Japanese islands Okinawa And inside Philippines.

The Japan Meteorological Agency Japan lowered its tsunami warning for the southern islands on Wednesday “Tsunami Warning” After a strong earthquake in eastern Taiwan.

JMA can register Waves up to one meter (3.3 ft) in the region after the earthquake. It had earlier warned of a tsunami of up to three meters in height. “please, Avoid going into or entering the ocean until the warning is lifted” said a JMA official.

Two city buildings Hualienin the east TaiwanIt collapsed on Wednesday after a powerful earthquake AFP Local Fire Department Officer.

“Two buildings have collapsed and some people are believed to be trapped. “We don't have any information at the moment,” he added.

Richter magnitude earthquake 7.5 It struck near Wednesday morning Taiwan and issued a tsunami warning for that area and the southern islands JapanOfficials said.