First wave of tsunami hits Japanese islands after earthquake – ‘people trapped in buildings’ in Taiwan | World News

Footage showed some buildings in the city of Hualien in Taiwan had collapsed, with reports that some people were trapped inside.

A strong earthquake has struck off the coast of southwestern Japan – with power outages and people trapped in buildings in parts of Taiwan.

Tsunami warnings were issued after the earthquake – which had an estimated magnitude of 7.7 – with residents in coastal areas of Okinawa urged to evacuate after it struck at 7.58am local time.

It was the strongest earthquake to hit Taiwan in 25 years, state media said.

The first wave of a tsunami is believed to have already struck two of them Japan‘s southern islands – with waves of up to three meters expected to reach larger areas of the southwestern coast.

Japan’s meteorological agency described the earthquake as very shallow, which can cause greater damage.

A five-story building in the city of Hualien – near the earthquake’s epicenter Taiwan – appeared to be heavily damaged. The first floor of the building had collapsed leaving the rest leaning at a 45-degree angle.

In the capital Taipei, tiles fell from the roof of older buildings and within some newer office complexes.

Meanwhile, more than 87,000 households were without power after the earthquake, according to Taiwan electricity operator Taipower.

Train services across the island – which is home to 23 million people – were suspended, as was the metro.

The Taipei city government said it had not received any reports of damage and the MRT was back up and running soon after.

The Philippines Seismology Agency also issued an urgent call to residents in coastal areas of several provinces to evacuate to higher ground.

According to a witness, the earthquake could be felt as far as Shanghai in China.

Multiple aftershocks were felt in Taipei in the hour after the initial quake. The US Geological Society said one of the subsequent earthquakes was seven miles deep and 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.

In March 2011, a 9 magnitude earthquake in March 2011 was the strongest in Japan’s history – triggering a massive tsunami and the world’s worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl.