A powerful earthquake, measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale, struck Taiwan, resulting in fatalities, hundreds of injuries, building collapses, and power outages in some regions.

This earthquake marks the strongest to hit the island in 25 years. Footage from Taiwanese television stations revealed buildings tilting heavily in Hualien County, located in the sparsely populated eastern part of the country near the epicenter.

Local media outlets reported instances of people trapped under debris, while the fire department indicated that over 700 individuals sustained injuries.

Taiwan's Central Weather Administration said that the earthquake occurred at a depth of 15.5 kilometers off the eastern coast of the island.

The Japan Meteorological Agency noted a small tsunami reaching parts of southern Okinawa Prefecture, later downgrading the tsunami warning to an advisory. The earthquake's magnitude was initially estimated at 7.7.

The Philippine Seismological Agency issued evacuation advisories for residents in coastal areas across multiple provinces, urging them to move to higher ground.

Witnesses reported feeling the quake as far away as Shanghai, and Chinese official media confirmed its effects on residents in Fuzhou, Xiamen, Quanzhou, and Ningde in Fujian Province, China.