Taiwan and the Philippines today issued tsunami warnings, following Japan’s example, due to an earthquake measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale recorded near Taiwan.
The earthquake occurred at 09:00 (01:00 in Lisbon), with the epicenter located near the coast of the Hualien region, in eastern Taiwan, at a depth of 15.5 kilometers, according to the China Seismological Center.
“The earthquake could trigger a tsunami that will affect Taiwan. A tsunami warning is issued to remind residents of coastal areas to remain vigilant,” according to a safety message sent to islanders’ cell phones.
The Philippine Institute of Seismology also warned of “strong tsunami waves” and called on the population to abandon the coastal areas of 23 provinces and choose “higher locations or move inland”.
The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued a tsunami warning for the southern islands of Okinawa, Miyakojima and Yaeyama, Japanese public television NHK reported.
The Japanese agency appealed to residents living along the coast to seek refuge in higher places “as soon as possible”, due to the possibility of waves up to three meters high starting at 10:00 (02:00 in Lisbon). ).
The first earthquake was followed by an aftershock measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale, according to the United States Geological Survey.
The mayor of Taipei, Chiang Wanan, declared the disaster response center in Taiwan’s capital level two and asked citizens to be careful and watch out for possible new aftershocks.
So far there are no official reports of victims or material damage.
The earthquake was “the strongest in 25 years” on the island, said the director of the Taiwan Seismological Center, Wu Chien-fu. In September 1999, a 7.6 magnitude earthquake killed 2,400 people.
Taiwan is located on the so-called Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a zone of intense seismic and volcanic activity that stretches from Japan to the Pacific across South Asia.
VQ // EJ
Tags: Taiwan Philippines issue tsunami warnings magnitude earthquake
