Tremors from the powerful earthquake were felt across Taiwan, the country’s meteorological office said. This was the second earthquake in less than 24 hours in Taiwan after a 6.4-magnitude quake hit southeastern Taitung County at around 9:41pm on Saturday. On Sunday afternoon, the 10-kilometer (6.21-mile) shallow earthquake struck 50 kilometers north of the city of Taitung, which had already been hit by aftershocks from the night before, Taiwanese authorities said. Sharing the first visuals of damage from the quake, Taiwanese broadcasters said a two-story residential building collapsed and at least one train car derailed at a station on the east coast. It was unclear if there were any casualties. Other videos shared on social media showed chandeliers and chairs moving violently at the time of the quake. The Independent could not immediately verify the video. Another video of the aftermath of the disaster showed a white cloud of smoke filling the street from the collapsed building. Wires and two-wheelers fell to the ground on the road as panicked people ran and screamed. The Japan Meteorological Agency also issued a tsunami warning of up to 1 meter (3 feet) that could threaten several islands in southern Japan. The federal agency said tsunami waves could hit Yonaguni Island, Japan’s westernmost island about 110 km (70 miles) east of Taiwan, at about 4:10 p.m. local time (8:10 a.m. BST). and then affect three nearby islands. Alerts have also been issued for the Miyakojima and Yaeyama areas of Okinawa Prefecture. Officials urged residents living near the coastline to stay away from those areas. These islands are located about 2,000 km (1,200 miles) southwest of Tokyo. The island nation’s meteorological service predicted the quake measured 6.8 on the Richter scale – even bigger than Saturday’s quake.
