At least 4 people were killed and 711 others were injured when a powerful preliminary magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Taiwan Wednesday, the Taiwanese government said.
The earthquake hit just before 8 a.m. local time, with an epicenter near Hualien, a city on the eastern coast.
The four deaths, which were all in Hualien, were confirmed in a noon update, which also said there had been another 57 injuries reported across the island, according to Taiwan’s National Fire Agency and the EMIC in Taipei.
By 2 p.m., the number of injuries had climbed to 711, with another 77 people said to be trapped under rubble, emergency officials said.
This photo taken by Taiwan’s Central News Agency on April 3, 2024 shows people looking at a damaged building in Hualien, after a major earthquake hit Taiwan’s east.
CNA/AFP via Getty Images
A five-story house and another building in Hualien, Taiwan, collapsed because of the earthquake. A seven-decade-old low-rise house in Keelung, Taiwan, and at least one other building in Taipei was said to have falling debris.
Other reported damage included nine sections of local highways and 11 roads with falling stones or cracked pavements.
A view of a damaged apartment following an earthquake offshore, in New Taipei City, Taiwan April 3, 2024. (REUTERS/Fabian Hamacher)
Fabian Hamacher/Reuters
The metro system and high-speed rail were suspended. Additionally, the highways in northern Yiland and eastern Hualien were shut off as a precautionary measure, according to the Taiwanese Highway Bureau.
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There have been three small tsunamis reported on islands between Japan’s main island and Taiwan. All Tsunami warnings in Japan, though, have ended.
PHOTO: A magnitude 7.4 earthquake occurred in Taiwan at 7:58 a.m. local time. (TVBS via AP)
TVBS via AP
The initial quake was followed by a preliminary magnitude 6.5 aftershock, also near Hualien, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The first quake was the largest one in Taiwan in a quarter century.
ABC News’ Karson Yiu contributed to this story.
