Japan earthquake LIVE: 6.0 magnitude earthquake jolts Japan again, a day after Taiwan quake

An earthquake of magnitude 6 struck off the east coast of Honshu, Japan on Thursday (April 4), the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre said.

The quake was at a depth of 32 km (19.88 miles), EMSC said.

It comes a day after at least nine people were killed and more than 1,000 injured by a powerful earthquake in Taiwan. The most massive earthquake to have shaken Taiwan in 25 years on Wednesday (April 3). Read More...

The Taiwan earthquake has caused major disruptions to train service in mainland China, including trains linking Fujian to Guangdong, trains operating within Fujian, Jiangxi, Zhejiang and high-speed rail services in Shanghai.

The service was halted to check the tracks in the affected areas which left passengers stranded at stations. The disruption came at a time when a travel rush was expected due to the Ching Ming Festival in China.
 

According to Taiwanese authorities, 70 workers are trapped in 2 rock quarries after the 7.5-magnitude earthquake hit the island on Wednesday morning (April 3).

The Taiwan earthquake can cause disruptions across Asia's semiconductor supply chain, according to analysts. The world's largest chipmaker, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) operates from Taiwan, and it has halted some operations to inspect facilities and relocate employees. TSMC supplies chips to companies like Apple and Nvidia. 
Chipmakers including UMC, Vanguard International Semiconductor, and Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing are located in Taiwan. 

The earthquake led some of the buildings to lean at 45-degree angles with their ground floors crushed. In Taipei, tiles fell from older buildings. 

The quake also downed phone networks. The earthquake and its aftershocks led to 24 landslides and damage to 35 roads, bridges and tunnels.

Some train tracks twisted by the stress of the quake and in Taipei sections of a newly constructed elevated subway line split apart but did not collapse.

Taiwan's air force also reported slight damage to six F-16 fighter jets at a major base. 

Taiwan's national fire agency said that the authorities have lost contact with a 50 people in four minibuses heading to a hotel in Taroko National Park after the earthquake downed phone networks.

More than 70 other people are trapped but believed to be alive, some in a coal mine, reported the Associated Press. 

The death toll has risen to nine while 821 people have been injured, said the Taiwanese authorities. 

In Taiwan, the Japan and Philippines authorities issued tsunami warnings later the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the threat had largely passed.

Authorities have informed that the death toll due to earthquake in Taiwan has risen to seven.

The powerful tremors that rocked Taiwan on Wednesday morning have damaged 125 buildings across the island, according to the National Fire Agency (NFA).

About half of the damaged buildings are in Hualien County, near the epicenter of the earthquake, according to local officials. Four buildings in the county had partially collapsed, Hualien County Magistrate Hsu Chen-wei said at a news conference Wednesday.

At least 77 people are trapped across Taiwan after a powerful earthquake struck the island's eastern coast, according to the National Fire Agency (NFA).

Authorities did not elaborate on the condition of those trapped, but said that rescue operations were underway. The 7.4 magnitude quake has killed four people and injured more than 700 others, according to NFA. Of those injured, 132 are in Hualien County, near the epicenter of the quake, the agency added.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology as per reports have lifted Tsunami warning saying "no significant sea level disturbances" had been recorded since the earthquake.  

"With this, any effects due to the tsunami warning have largely passed," said the institute.

In the US, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said that the threat of any tsunami risk has "largely passed". According to the update issued by the warning center in Honolulu, the evaluation was made after considering all the data that was available.

Taiwan earthquake live updates: In the aftermath of the earthquake, the Taiwanese government has confirmed that a tragic loss of four lives has occurred in the mountainous and sparsely populated eastern county of Hualien, where the epicentre was located. Additionally, more than 50 individuals have been reported as injured in the same region.

Taiwan earthquake News

At least 26 buildings have collapsed, more than half in Hualien, with about 20 people trapped and rescue work ongoing, it said.

Speaking at a press conference, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi has urged local residents to stay vigilant and evacuate to higher-level areas or inside a safe building.

Shortly after the press conference, Japan lifted all tsunami warnings.

Taiwan earthquake live updates: Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said that no reports of injury or damage surfaced in Japan. He appealed the people in the Okinawa region to stay on safe ground.

All tsunami advisories issued by Japan after the earthquake were lifted, as per the Japan Meteorological Agency.

Taiwan earthquake live updates: A landslide was reported in Xiulin which is at eastern coast of Taiwan, after the massive earthquake.

The casualty figures have started to drop in and the first reports emerging from Reuters news agency, citing Taiwan's fire department, indicate that one person has been killed and more than 50 are injured.

As per the Pacific Tsunami Warning centre, the tsunami threat from the earthquake has passed. The website of the centre, in a post, said, “No tsunami warning, advisory, watch or threat” on the Taiwan quake.
 

The tsunami waves which reached the coast of Japan were not as high as forecast and the officials downgraded the alert to an advisory.

However, Japan’s meteorological agency's official appealed to people to continue evacuation till the advisory was lifted. Meanwhile, public broadcaster NHK reported that a few residents of the main Okinawa island had evacuated to a nearby US military base.

Taiwan’s electricity operator, Taipower, reported that more than 87,000 people were without power across the country.
 

Buildings continued to shake as Taipei reported an aftershock. Japan’s Meteorological Agency has warned people to remain for aftershocks which are likely to have similar intensity.

The Japan Meteorological Agency revised the magnitude of Taiwan’s earthquake to 7.7, from 7.5, as per the Reuters news agency.

Taiwan’s central news agency said that there has been a power outage in nearly 10,00 households and restoration operations are currently underway.

People have been trapped in the collapsed buildings in Hualien City, Taiwan, as per the local media. Meanwhile, schools and classes in the region were suspended by the local government.

As per Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration, the earthquake's epicentre was 25km southeast of Hualien. The metro of Taipei was suspended for 40 to 60 minutes for a routine safety check. 

An evacuation order was issued by Japan’s national broadcaster as the broadcasting warnings read “Tsunami is coming. Please evacuate immediately,” an anchor on NHK said. “Do not stop. Do not go back”.
“Evacuate!” read a banner on the broadcast channel.

Philippines issues warning of high tsunami waves
The Philippines’ seismology agency said that high tsunami waves are likely to hit the coastal areas.

"Based on tsunami wave models and early tide gauge records of the tsunami in the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, coastal areas in the Philippines fronting the Pacific Ocean are expected to experience high tsunami waves. It is forecasted that the first tsunami waves will arrive between 08:33 AM to 10:33 AM, 03 Apr 2024 (PST). It may not be the largest and these waves may continue for hours," it said.

The buildings in the city of Hualien, Taiwan were badly shaken after the earthquake. Meanwhile, then train and subway services were suspended in Taipei.

Taiwan’s earthquake monitoring agency said that the magnitude of the quake was 7.2 while the US Geological Survey placed it at 7.5. The depth was nearly 33km.

A tsunami warning was issued by the Philippines seismology agency after that strong earthquake as Philippine coastal areas at the front of the Pacific Ocean faced high chances of experiencing “high tsunami waves”, as per the Reuters news agency.

People living in the coastal areas were asked to immediately evacuate to higher grounds in the advisory.

A powerful earthquake of 7.5 magnitude hit near Taiwan around 9:00 am Japanese local time (0000 GMT) on Wednesday (April 3) which led to tsunami warnings for southern Japanese islands, said Japan Meteorological Agency.

According to the agency, tsunami waves as high as three metres (10 feet) are expected immediately in remote Japanese islands close to Taiwan, which includes Miyakojima Island.  Read More...