The strongest earthquake to strike Taiwan in at least 25 years, measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale, struck the island on Wednesday, killing seven people and injuring more than 700, with 77 trapped in tunnels and collapsed buildings, authorities said.
In the mountainous, sparsely populated eastern county of Hualien, where the epicentre was located, the Taiwanese government reported that four people had died and more than 50 had been injured.
About 20 people are reportedly trapped in at least 26 collapsed buildings -- more than half of which were in Hualien -- and rescue efforts are still ongoing.
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As people were heading to work and school in Hualien, where the earthquake struck just offshore at around 8am footage from Taiwanese television stations showed buildings at dangerous angles.
The Central Weather Administration of Taiwan reports that the depth of the earthquake was 15.5 km (9.6 miles).
The earlier tsunami warning was subsequently downgraded to an advisory by Japan's weather agency after multiple small tsunami waves were reported to have reached portions of the southern prefecture of Okinawa. It reported a magnitude of 7.7 for the earthquake.
Additionally, the Philippines Seismology Agency warned people living in coastal areas of multiple provinces to evacuate to higher ground.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii later declared that there was no longer a risk of dangerous tsunami waves, despite Taiwan having also issued a tsunami warning but not reporting any damage from it.
More than 25 aftershocks have been recorded, according to Taiwan's central weather administration, and aftershocks are still felt in Taipei, a Reuters witness reported.
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According to Chinese official media, the earthquake was felt in the province of Fujian, but a Reuters witness reported that it was also felt in Shanghai.
The MRT in Taipei was operational shortly after the earthquake, according to the city government, which stated that it had not received any reports of significant damage.
More than 87,000 households in Taiwan, according to electricity provider Taipower, are still without power. The two nuclear power plants in the nation are unaffected by the earthquake.
Although there have been no reports of damage or injuries on Taiwan's high-speed rail system, the operator has announced that trains will be delayed while inspections are conducted.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., a major semiconductor manufacturer, said that some of its fabrication plants had been evacuated and that its safety systems were functioning as intended.
Those who were evacuated were starting to return to their places of employment, it was later added.
In early trading, TSMC's shares fell 1.4%, while Apple's, opens new tab supplier Foxconn's shares dropped 1.7%, and the company's stock fell more than 2%. Au Optronics is a manufacturer of flat panels.
The largest earthquake to strike the island since 1999, when a 7.6-magnitude tremor left about 2,400 people dead and destroyed or damaged 50,000 buildings in one of Taiwan's worst-ever recorded quakes, according to Taiwan's official central news agency.
According to Taiwan's Central Weather Administration, the earthquake in Hualien county had an intensity of "Upper 6," which is the second-highest on a scale of 1 to 7.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, most unreinforced concrete-block walls collapse during an Upper 6 earthquake, making it impossible for people to move without crawling or to stay upright.
