VIDEO An earthquake of over 7 degrees has hit Taiwan. 26 buildings collapsed after the strongest earthquake in the last 25 years

A strong earthquake was registered on Wednesday morning in eastern Taiwan, and a tsnuami alert was issued in Okinawa, in the southwest of the Japanese archipelago, but also in the Philippines. The earthquake occurred at 07:58 am local time (2:58 am, Romanian time), at a depth of 15.5 km, just off the east coast, according to the local Meteorological Administration, News.ro notes. It is the strongest earthquake in the last 25 years. At least 26 buildings have collapsed, four people have died and many people are trapped under the rubble. Another 9 people were injured on a highway.

07:47VIDEO The moment a powerful earthquake hit Taiwan, captured by a dashboard camera on a highway

07:31 At least four people died and more than 50 were injured, according to authorities, Reuters reports. At least 26 buildings have collapsed, more than half in Hualien, while 20 people are trapped under the rubble.

07:18 An underwater earthquake measuring 7.4 on the Richter scale struck near Taiwan just before 00:00 GMT on Wednesday, prompting tsunami warnings in Taiwan as well as the Japanese islands of Okinawa and the Philippines, AFP reports and Agerpres.

Three-meter high waves are feared in Okinawa. “Evacuate to higher areas, do not return,” recommended a presenter at the Japanese public broadcaster NHK.

A tsunami warning was also issued for coastal areas in Taiwan.

The earthquake struck near the east coast of Taiwan just before 8:00 am local time (9:00 am Japan time, 00:00 GMT).

Its magnitude was estimated at 7.5 degrees by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), at 7.4 by the US USGS and at 7.2 degrees by the Taiwan Meteorological Agency (CWA).

Two buildings collapsed in Hualien, a city located near the epicenter of the earthquake that struck the east coast of Taiwan.

“Two buildings collapsed and people could be trapped under the rubble. We don’t have any more information at this time,” said an official from the Hualien Fire Department.

The quake is the “strongest in 25 years” on the island, said Taipei Seismological Center director Wu Chien-fu. “The earthquake is close to the coast and shallow. It was felt throughout Taiwan and neighboring islands… It is the strongest in the past 25 years, since the 1999 earthquake,” Wu told reporters, referring to the 7.6-magnitude earthquake that struck with the death of 2,400 people in September 1999.

The Philippines also warned of “large tsunami waves” and called for the evacuation of several coastal areas on Wednesday. “Residents in coastal areas in the following provinces are strongly advised to immediately evacuate to higher ground or move further inland,” the national seismology institute said in an advisory covering 23 provinces.