A tsunami warning has been issued for south-western Japan and the Philippines after an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.5 struck in the ocean near Taiwan.
The strong quake knocked out power in several parts of the Taiwan capital Taipei, according to a Reuters witness.
The Japanese Meteorological Agency says the earthquake struck at a very shallow depth, making the impact worse.
The tsunami warning was issued for coastal areas near the southern prefecture of Okinawa, National broadcaster NHK said.
The tsunami is expected to be up to 3 metres.
The Philippines’ seismology agency issued a tsunami warning, with coastal areas facing the Pacific Ocean expected to experience “high tsunami waves”.
People in the coastal areas in several provinces were advised to immediately evacuate to higher grounds or move further inland, the advisory read.
AFP reported that powerful aftershocks hit Taiwan and were felt by the agency’s reporters.
Reuters is reporting there are power outages across the city.
Local television stations in Taiwan are showing footage of collapsed buildings in Hualien, near the epicentre.
Some local media are reporting people are trapped.
The Philippines Seismology Agency also issued a warning for residents in coastal areas of several provinces, urging them to evacuate to higher ground.
The quake was felt in Fuzhou, Xiamen, Quanzhou and Ningde in China’s Fujian province, according to Chinese state media.
The Taipei city government has not received any reports of damage.
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Tags: Magnitude7 .5 earthquake hits Taiwan triggering tsunami warning Japan Philippines
