TAIPEI, September 18 – A 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Taiwan on Sunday, prompting a tsunami warning in the sparsely populated southeast, the island’s weather bureau said, derailing train carriages.
A 6.4-magnitude earthquake was felt in the same area Saturday evening, with no casualties reported, the Meteorological Bureau said.
The building collapsed, Taiwanese media reported, and rescue operations have begun.
At Dongli Station in eastern Taiwan, the Taiwan Railways Administration said some 20 passengers were rescued after three carriages derailed after part of the platform canopy collapsed.
The US Tsunami Warning Center has issued a tsunami warning after the earthquake in Taiwan. A tsunami zone within 300 kilometers (190 mi) of the epicenter has been identified along the coast of Taiwan.
Warning of waves up to 1 meter high The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued a tsunami warning for parts of Okinawa Prefecture after the earthquake.
An earthquake was felt across Taiwan, the Meteorological Bureau said. Buildings shook in the capital, Taipei.
Rice, home to semiconductor factories, and science parks in the southern cities of Tainan and Kaohsiung, have no impact on operations.
Taiwan is at the intersection of two tectonic plates and is prone to earthquakes.